Elysium Inn (Always Accepting Literate People)

[Yoshkun]

“I should hope not.” He mused with a small smile of satisfaction, wondering exactly how many foolish human men she had made ‘bow’ before dissecting their liver with silverware. Leon knew that he was being completely foolish in his efforts to entice the spider mistress, but there was just something about her that drove him to such lengths. If Mama-san had an everlasting appetite for flesh and death then the lion had the same type of craving for excitement. From Los Vegos to Miami lay a trail of bruised egos and squashed prides that Leon had left in his wake of flawless card play, devouring victory after victory with the same intensity that the youkai probably prided herself with. No matter how you looked at it, he was simply hungry for something he had yet to chew on. Just any competition that truly made chills run up his back as the final card hit the table and the game was called; to challenge someone that validated his existence. The truth of the matter was that Leon had beaten just about every good competitor in poker he could find in the New World, and without that kind of adrenaline constantly pumping through his veins, Leon himself felt kind of worthless. Perhaps this is why this conversation right now meant so much to him, even though Mama-san was hardly skilled in card competition, but she was a different competition. She was a foe that to those who dared to cross her may lose their very lives…and that was exciting. To gamble his very life on a beautiful woman seemed like the perfect distraction while lost within the hustle and bustle of this enormous city.

His acute hearing did manage to catch the soft whimpering and clawing that appeared to be muffled within that small bamboo basket, almost as if it were in tune to pipe up every time he said something it disagreed with. Peculiar. However, once again, he only smiled and simply ignored the ‘accidental’ kick as his attention turned back to the mysterious arachnid with a small chuckle. “Heh. You don't have to think of me like that! Hey, sometimes you just got do something crazy! Take a chance! Have a little fun, ya know? I like meeting new people every day. Plus…nothing distracts one of those human male gamblers from his cards except the curves of a good woman.” He laughed softly, finishing off his third cup of coffee with a long and satisfying sip.”Still…just something to consider if you ever get bored or whatever.”

Leon was not aware that his comments could have offended Bob in any way, as he would have suspected it normal for vacationing or visiting guest to want to tour the fine eating establishments during the night time. In all actually, it was probably the way he said it with Bob hovering over so closely to him that seemed to be a direct shot at his cooking; not that he had a problem with Bob or his well cooked meals. What the lion did have a problem with, was the fact that Bob was about to break one of his sacred rules. He watched the undead chef slowly crouch onto his heels and felt the rough feel of his fingertip poke firmly on his temple. Now unless you happened to be a very beautiful young lady about to gently caress his cheek before planting a loving kiss on his lips; Leon absolutely and positively did not like to be touched. He supposed it all started when he first began playing poker in the New World, as card players generally developed very firm boundaries in which they expect other players and the dealer to respect no matter what the situation. That, and he was very territorial king of the jungle.

For a moment you could see such passionate anger brewing in his eyes as his face tensed, the usually smooth skin between nose and eyes crinkling immediately while his lids squinted to complete the ferocious stare. The once peaceful and serene pools of blue pupils became storms of crashing waves of rage that could only be described as a complete change of his usual character. However, as soon as his thoughts drifted to Mama-san’s legs constantly shifting around as she made herself more comfortable in the ‘audience’, he calmed himself quickly and let his tense muscles and facial features relax; forcing a warm smile back to the surface within seconds.

“You know something, Bob? You’re absolutely right. I’m going to need a lot of energy to watch all of those poker games. Good advice! Excuse me a moment…” The mellow tone had returned, only leaving the aftertaste of a angered lion behind as he removed himself from the table and headed towards the large buffet ripe with tons of breakfast items. He was still a little peeved that the cook had touched him with his supposedly washed hands, but he realized if he was going to get anywhere with cracking this Mama-san code, he would just have to let the anger subside for now. He hummed quietly while picking up one or two pieces of each meat before heading back over to the table. It took him a few moments to get the cards collected and moved so he could sit and put the plate down, taking a large bit out of a sausage link the first chance he got.”Mmm…good tasting sausage links Mr. Cook. Very top notch.” He finally said after swallowing the first link, seemingly pleased and giving an actual compliment. He didn’t give other males very many compliments to be sure.

Leon was stumped as what to do next, really. Even if the spider did go tonight or didn’t go at all…he still was terribly curious as to what she was really like. What was this charming woman routine for? None of them were human by any means and could smell right through that delicious humanoid guise she was so tightly wearing. Still, every time his brain and tongue worked together to try to form together a question that wouldn’t have her diving over the table in an effort to eat his spleen, his mind would go blank. Finally, he just looked over after another sausage and stared curiously at the mountain of food she had and blurted out “I like meat, too. It’s the best thing to eat when you’re a predator like me. I can still remember my first kill when I caught an antelope out in the plains. That was when I was a lion cub, you see.”

He didn’t know why he was rambling on about his childhood, but making the comparison between her and himself as predators from the same cloth seemed like a good idea at the time.”You know what they say! You do what you have to do to survive in the jungle! So if you don't mind me asking Lady Mama-san, since you know what I do...what do you do for a living perchance? You probably have a way cooler job than some ol' card player."

[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 was somewhat pleased to see that he had garnered a reaction from the Lion after his finger introduced itself roughly to Leon's temple. A simple touch, something Bob expected someone who seemed so chipper to hardly bat an eye at. But Bob could perceive the anger brewing from the look that came across Leon's face. Bob's blackened eyes did not even quiver in response but still held the same old glare. This dead man's stare remained unperturbed, as was to be expected. In fact, Bob wanted Leon's anger to flourish, but it quickly dissipated in present company. Bob didn't care, Bob didn't care about the gamblers "boundries", he didn't care if he was king of the jungle. Bob wouldn't care even if he was queen of the jungle. These were minor differences shadowed under the much larger picture. Leon was alive, that was the only difference that mattered. Age, sex, species, Bob didn't care about any of it. Many people may have lived longer than he, but none of them had been dead nearly as long as him. The only people who have certainly didn't have the means to get on his nerves. So with this Bob believed he had the right to do as he pleased and if it angered or upset those still alive, well it was all just as amusing as it might have been annoying.

Bob stood up and stepped to the side as Leon got up to dish himself up. Bob's stiff glare followed him all the way over to the buffet table. But as he filled a plate with meat, Bob made a comment though he didn't tear his stare away. "I should have mentioned this to you earlier, but if you have any... special requests, do not be afraid to come to me." Bob was not so deaf and blind to not notice the basket and the eerie noises coming from it. Bob was not so dumb as not to have drawn a few conclusions about the spider. His eyes finally tore from Leon and looked down at Mama-san, his arms folded. "Besides, if you are going to eat something it may as well be prepared right." Bob finished. Now Bob didn't cook people on a regular basis, or at all really, but he was more than prepared too. While Bob never craved human flesh or brains, he knew there were people out there who did. Bob would cater to cannibals and spider mistresses with a taste for humans. Why would Bob go so far as to cook humans? He simply didn't care. As much as he couldn't connect with the living it's not like he could connect with the dead any better. Bob wasn't classified as undead for no reason, despite the fact that he referred to himself as "Dead" on a regular basis. Besides, who can connect with a corpse? Necrophiliacs aside.

Bob said no more as Leon made his way back. Bob watched him intently as ever with his dark glare. He watched him collect his cards and put them to the side. Then watched as he finally took a bite out of some of the sausage. His eyebrow twitched a bit as Leon referred to him as "Mr. Cook" Bob was quick to say. "Please, just Bob will do." As polite as the words were, his tone, as steady as his everlasting glare, was not. Bob was just as quick to add "And thank you." Bob didn't like being referred to by any name other than Bob. It was one of the few things that irritated him. Even the suffix Mama-san added was a stretch. Bob wasn't his real name, but if you managed to figure out his real name and actually call him by it well... Bob certainly didn't appreciate it. Feeling either bored or as if he had accomplished what he came over to do Bob said "If either of you need anything else, you know where to find me." With that Bob casually strolled away, heading back to the Bar and his stack of chocolate as well as the stuffed wolf that guarded it.

Taking a seat, Bob put the stuffed wolf off to the side as he didn't need it to guard the chocolate anymore, though he didn't want to put it away just yet. Unwrapping the next bar of chocolate, dark chocolate in this particular case, Bob put the corner into his mouth and too a medium sized bite of the harder chocolate that had a slightly more bitter taste than the average milk chocolate. In Bob's case there was not a single type of treat that contained sugar that he could resist. While Bob loved sweets, he hardly ever baked aside from food for others. Bob often bought cakes or sweets when he had the craving and he kept plenty stocked in the kitchen. The stuffed animals however were mostly in his closet, but many of them made their way around the inn and in the hands of whomever however.

[Ms Silver Lining]

::: Μιωα τλε δλεερ ❤
=======================================»»

The sheep blinked as his smooth voice slipped from his lips addressing her in a different tongue before assuring her that her guess was not wrong. Then comforting her dark thoughts of having nothing to eat. Her round cheeks, still rosy, puffed up even more the longer she thought about missing out on something to eat. The horror it would be to walk into an empty room right after the tables were cleared of food. The aced in her stomach couldn't eat any more of itself without burning a hole through it. Before thinking about missing food could do any damage she was being gently pushed in the right direction. She turned her head to look over her shoulder but because of the volume of her hair; she had to turn her head a little more then most normally would have. Her large pink eyes blinked away the small build up of tears and her body quickly moved forward. She fondled with the front of the blue gown as she walked and looked down at the fabric. Here was a prime example as to why she never knew her way around. When she was ushered to another area she hardly took the time to pay attention to where she was going. At the same time Kiyoshi never suggested she should try learning how to get to certain locations. It never occurred to her and sometimes her mind was sort of on one track. Currently she was more concern with her gown being too thin but, it was fine and no one could see though it. It wasn't the best time to consider such a fact but it was good she even considered it at all.

Before Cerano began to guide her to the dinning room Miwa was on the look out. Whenever she had a guild it made her feel like she had a guardian and there was no need for her to be alert. Yet, since Cerano was not a shepherd there wasn't complete comfort. She would glance up a few times before going back to her slender fingers, playing with them as if they were as fascinating as any grand show. However, unconsciously her body followed Cerano. Whenever he made a turn she did as well. She didn't have to look up to know where a guild was. Even if he had paused she would have too. At the same time she would have no clue what was surrounding her. If they passed through the front room she wouldn't have noticed the large tiger unless someone was talking directly to her. Otherwise she would miss the grand parade even if it were right next to her. She did begin to pay more attention the closer they were to food. Her head raised enough for her to see the doors and she knew without question that he had brought her to the right place.

She turned her head up to look at Cerano, showing her big smile. Then hurried carefully forward to rush the double doorframe leading into the room. The nightgown rippled around her ankles and twisted around her small waist as she turned her upper body. Her thick curls fell over her shoulder and down the front of her chest. "Thanks so much Cerano," she hummed happily and hurried her way towards the food. There were a few things going on while she did so. Her strides appeared fine but there was a slight limp on her right side that turned that perfect model walk into nothing but a boring stride. Two, she was taking in the 'people' already seated in the room. Some sitting alone while others were partnered up. All seemed a bit strange but food was the goal. If she had more to eat she could think a little better. She might have questioned why Cerano wasn't hiding his ears or the fact that he was a bit feminine. She might have thought up that this place had to be a kind of safe house. Yet, those thoughts were sure to come in due time.

Without stopping to say anything to anyone else she picked up a clean plate and stared at the food. Her mouth watered and her mind contemplated on where to start first. Although she was a sheep it didn't stop her from eating meat. "It all looks so good." She started on the wheats, bread, flapjacks, meats; taking a little of what she could until the plate was full. Then walked to the closest table to set the plate down. Then back to the buffet for two bowls and filled one with fruits and another of grits. Like a young girl on a mission she sat the bowls down and walked back for two cups, one for a glass of water and the other for orange juice. She placed the glasses down and before she was fully in her seat she picked up a slice of bread and began to eat. By the time her bottom hit the cushion of the seat she sat the bread down and picked up a strawberry and ate it whole, stem and all. She was quickly making work of her meal until she took a bite of the flapjacks. She sat her fork down and placed her fingers over her lips. Who could have made such perfect flapjacks?

[Ms Silver Lining]

::: ℑαηετ τλε δκυηκ ♤
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Every morning Janet did her daily runs. Her job didn't require a lot of manual labor but keeping after the staff members and making sure they were doing their jobs was tiring sometimes. Although, the skunk never showed tiredness; whenever she was irritated or annoyed by someone slacking off...it showed. The head chef was on point as always. Checking on Bob was the best part of her day. The man was on time and his staff was in line right behind him. There was little for her to do except to make sure they were handling the food well. Bob did a better job at that then herself so she didn’t dig too deep in the kitchen. She was sort of proud of the inns assortments of food. She knew it could pass for a seven-star restaurant from the food alone, hands down. Bob got the job because of his skills and normally Janet hired the best. Iria was another one of her pride and joys. She was happy that every assigned room was always cleaned to perfection. Iria and her jumbled sentence order left not a drop of dust behind. Most of the time Janet found her cleaning floors or rooms that weren't assigned to her. The skunk loved both the Hydra and Undead because they made her life so much easier. However, her lazy, good for nothing, no money having butler Cerano was someone she had to keep an eye on. She often caught him staring at himself in mirrors admiring himself. He made her job a little difficult and because she had a mental guard against him for having no money she was always hardest on him.

Now that her morning runs were over she sat in the library to flipping through a stack of paper work. Working on numbers and figuring out who gets paid and how much. Her black and white ear flicked a few times listening to her surroundings. Her sliver and gold eyes shimmered softly under the morning light. The long big black tail pressed against her back, ruffling her spiky white hair. She leaned back in her seat yawing and scratching the side of her nose. There was a new scent on the air; which meant someone new found the inn. She yawed again and stretched her arms in the air before starting to gather all her papers. She slid a pencil behind her ear, neatly put away the paper in a small case and, stood to her feet. Then quickly brushed the back of her black hand across her nose while her other hand picked up the case and her feet carried her to the door.

Exiting the library. As she walked down the halls she brushed her fingers across random objects and looked at them. It was easy to find dust with her black furry fingers. Everything was clean as usual until she crossed paths with a aquamarine blue vase. She stopped on a dime and turned to look down the hall at a red head maid hurrying down the hall with a bundle of white blankets in her hand. "Matty," she called out with a sharp voice. The maid stopped with a slight fearful gaze caught in her green eyes. "Yes, ma'am," the fidgety maid replied. "This vase isn't clean make sure its clean before I pass by here again." She held her two fingers up for the girl to see and then whipped the dust away on her side. And before the girl could reply with a yes Janet continued down the hall.

When she reached the front Lobby Mizy was greeting the guest, as he should have. Her sliver and gold eyes narrowed on the massive tiger being. She studied him for a minute before she walked behind the desk to put her things away. She locked her things away in a magic protected safe. She would know if anyone came along to tinker with her things. After her hands were free she playfully/a little roughly slapped Mizu's lower back to straighten his stance. "Grow some back bone Mizu you're slouching." She stepped back to let Mizu do his job and to ensure he was doing it right by asking all the necessary questions. Janet always seemed to know when someone new walked through the door. She was sure to come and watch Mizu greet and cater them before she would greet them herself.

[Lightlender]

"Are you really alive right now?

Are you truly real?

...I'm pretty sure I'm not..."

The Sixty-year Story...

The morning sun hung high overhead in a corona of the deepest red, as if a constant looming reminder of everything they had done before daybreak - a searing hot testament to their inexorable sins that the Forest Gods would never forgive. There was no heat beneath the glowing disk above, although their bodies raged with fire that the icy chill of approaching winter could not quench. As the breeze whistled idly through the treetops before curling around their legs and paws to make the hackles of their throat bristle, many noble Caspians stood stunned by grotesque slaughter they committed. Others lay dead or dying. Many benevolent Streaks had been united in the past few months and several sleepless nights that had passed since Black Talon's death. Now a bold new leader had brought peace to the once-warring clans under a banner of war, a political issue that all the tiger factions could agree on. Most had been summoned recently, in fact, from the winding pathways of the forest, emerging first as eyes mirrored with murderous intent that peered between leaves before their powerful bodies gradually rose – like rippling steam – from the shadows of concealment. From that moment onward, every muscle, every fang, and every single stripe of their bodies was devoted to the act of murder. But now, with many of their loved ones ailing on their last breaths of life in this world, surrounded by the desolation of their once proud clan that now limped back into the woods amongst a meager dozen of survivors, if even that many had survived the onslaught of human rifles. If this was truly a victory, then it was a hollow one in every bitter aspect of the word. Whilst many nursed less grievous wounds, a single spectator seemed to survey the aftermath with an objective view from the highest ground nearby. By many standards, he was one of the smallest tigers in the unified clans, but easily one of the most recognizable by his powerful build and long fangs that still dripped the unsavory metallic flavor of human blood. Many had come to know him as 'Blood Fang', a vicious beast who spared his hatred of the humans for nothing or no one. He was their leader.

Near him, constantly at his side was a tigress with a fleece that gleamed the most radiant gold, as if she shone with heavenly beauty that illuminated every single step that brought her closer to her mate. "...Curved Fa-" Golden Fleece flinched, drawing back her ears sharply when the tiger prepared his fangs with a snarl of the deepest contempt. It thrummed from somewhere deep in his chest and came with such a vindictive snap of his jaw that one might have expected his fangs to shatter. Fleece quickly re-adressed him properly, wishing not to incure another stern reproach in front of so many of their soldiers eyes. As his second-in-command, she could never allow herself to loose face, lest another tigress from a former rival clan might challenge her for her mate's approval. It was a constant fear that she was invariably aware of, whether she wanted to be or not. "Lord Blood Fang, the humans have fled for now. I've already arranged a hunting party to chase them down before they can reach their settlements. However, the Elder Council believe that it is only a matter of time before the humans come again – in much greater numbers." she purred, hoping to muzzle against his fluffy neck pelt that always felt of the softest white sheep's wool, even when dyed crimson and sticky with drying blood. He pulled away just as sharply as he could rebuke her, instead opting to walk onward a few paces ahead of her, leaving her to follow the near-seductive sway of his flank and tail as he marched through the fields of the fallen.

"This changes nothing, Fleece. The Elder Council are but a flock of old fools who intoxicate themselves off the traditions of old. This is a new world we live in, woman. It would behoove you to remain ever mindful of this fact." Fang growled, pawing at the graying pink snout of a fallen cub not even a year beyond full puberty. He knew the whelp. He'd trained the youngling how to prowl only months ago; now he silently prodded the deceased cub for signs of life he knew would never come. The emotions that came conflicted him greatly, for they were feelings that few tigers would understand, let alone debate over continually through the nights were rest was unsettling at best. Allowing himself a moment to sigh before putting the child's death aside, he continued walking through the familiar scents that now lay covered in dirt and the stench of death. Golden Fleece seemed more troubled, however. How could he so callously sigh and pass on; this cub was River Walker, a kitten that had been like a son to them since their own had died a three months ago in one of her mate's raids on the human village. Although she could never move past the grief, there was a place somewhere deep inside her that pushed her to remain by 'Blood' Fang's side whilst he slowly began to spiral into what she could only presume was a deep and bitter madness beyond any imaginable insanity. Part of her loved him as her cub-hood playmate and hoped to somehow rescue him from the hell he'd created over the last eight months; the other part of her despised him and dreamt of sinking her fangs into the soft, plush flesh of his throat while he slept at night. Perhaps then, she could at least free him from his misery and save her from her own.

"Husband, you must at least stand to reason!" she swiftly sped up to cut around in front of him, her green eyes narrowing sharply to mask her fear of him with an intense glare."The Council of Elders is the established law of our kind. We must always revere their teachings. Even your brother obeyed their ways..." she blocked him with her body as he attempted to route her and stubbornly pass by in complete ignorance of her persistence. Everything she'd said had fallen on deaf ears that seemed more intently focused on the signal-roars of the scouts posted ahead. He was always like this; indifferent to everything beyond his goals. As he turned his massive head to avoid her eyes, Golden Fleece almost swore she saw his features shift into a cat with a much broader jaw and slightly faded stripes. She couldn't question her delusion; Fang was truly living in the shadow of his brother's prejudice now, wholly consumed by hatred that she simply could not understand. She cautiously approached him, ducking her head only slightly as his glowing blue eyes slowly rolled to their corners to watch her with about as much interest as he offered for ants or buzzing flies. She could read it on his face; she was an annoyance to at best. "...besides, the tigress' of the clans cannot keep up with this pace. Even though we have begun to mate out of season, our youth die all too quickly. They lack the experience of war, husband." She forced her nose against his, feeling the smooth surface of a fang gently against it when she nuzzled him. "Darling...stand to reason. Even Black Talon would reconsi–"

In what felt like a whirlwind sweeping her off her paws in an instant, she felt the hard and unrelenting ground slamming painfully against her back with only the nonexistent cushion of sharp stones as her only recourse. She writhed there, lashing her claws up at her mate that merely pulled back his ears and leaned away. His weight bore down where he kept a paw pressed to her throat from above, pinning the muscular huntress as if she were a mere kitten, silencing her with a roar of supremacy that easily swallowed up her own feeble protests in a bolt of thunderous sound. It made hear ears ring to the point she lay stunned, dazedly gazing up at him in a mixture of confusion and nausea.

"DO NOT CHALLENGE MY JUDGMENT!!" he barked, blasting her dead in the face with his godlike voice. "I stand to whatever I decree, darling. And right here, right now, I stand before you as an emissary of death." It felt like a dream to her, her addled sense of hearing wounded to the point she believed him to crane his head down to softly purr in her ears in a tone almost too alluring to be true. It was only through realizing that he was doing exactly that when she felt her blood chill icier than the cold, wintry breeze. Seeing Blood Fang this calm meant only one of two things: he'd returned from his insanity – or – he was fully prepared to land a killing blow. As he drew back his claw, she felt her chest clench tight with a pulse of fear-induced anxiety that infectiously spread throughout her entire body like wildfire. She let out a yelp of submission only seconds prior to the hammerfall that struck toward her. Silence. Golden Fleece blinked open her eyes, amazed that there was still a familiar sky overhead, and that she hadn't awakened in the world were her ancestors grazed in the eternal beyond. He'd spared her, instead crushing a rock beside her frightened face. She rolled onto her stomach to find him continuing on to survey the death, alone. "...advise the women of the clans to continue mating through this season as well. The humans will not overwhelm us with their thunder-sticks if we come at them in larger numbers. Gather as many healthy hunters as you can, round the huntresses if you must. I'll lead the scouts to routing the human survivors. I want to personally put them down. They killed River Walker. He was a favorite of mine and I take this as an affront to my person, specifically."

The Present...

Taiga glanced down over the rim of his sunglasses, idly bringing the tip of his gloved finger to the side of the lenses. For a moment, the orange-furred stranger's senses were fooled by what must have been a clever illusion. His eyes saw a young girl gazing up at him, yet his nostrils easily detected testosterone mingling in with a delectable cocktail of fear and nervous tension. Over the years, Taiga had come to take a sort of twisted pleasure in how others regarded his immense size. He wasn't intentionally intimidating, but seeing people react in the way Mizu did made him smirk from time to time. "...relax, chief. I'm not going to eat you." Taiga scoffed, tromping closer to the kid at the desk. He dropped his gym bag that hit the floor with a thud, causing the floor to quiver. What's worse, it sounded as if something heavy and metallic was in there, judging by the clatter – something that could easily bash poor Mizu's skull in with minimal effort at all. Fortunately for Mizu, the gigantic tiger was somewhat of a peace-loving sort. "Yeah, a friend told me about this place." His voice was bold and deep, vibrating somewhat in a way that was both soothing and bit unnerving. "She said it was a 'halfway house for all sorts of freaks and misfits' and, as you can see..." Taiga paused and brushed his hands down the length of his broad chest as if to emphasize the fact that an upright-walking tiger in jeans and a leather jacket wasn't exactly what most considered 'normal'. As if it wasn't glaringly obvious to begin with.

Of course, the Caspian had to recant his logic once he noticed the mother of all FUBARs traipse past him in what looked like the pajamas she woke up in. It was so unbelievable that he simply had to mention it aloud, despite the fact that she was readily within earshot, pointing at Janet as if she were the oddity. "O-kaaay, I see there's a skunk-lady here. Can't say I expected that when I walked through the door..." He whistled appreciatively, making note of her baggy shirt that failed to flatter a rather nice figure that Taiga was certain lay hidden in the folds, somewhere. It had to be there, otherwise that would have surely been a poetically tragic fate indeed. He didn't necessarily disguise the fact that he was checking her out, but didn't blatantly ogle her either, instead opting to take a tasteful glance at the woman before chiming in with her statement. "Seriously, kid. Man up. I'm nothin' to be afraid of, honestly. I'm just big." Taiga said, grinning with a freakish sort of smile that revealed far too many sharpened teeth what Mizu might have liked to see. And just for good measure, he chanced a glance behind Janet to make sure of something before muttering under his breath something about her 'having J-lo Booty' and some vague reference to a 'dunk-a-dunk' in a voice that was too low to hear.

"Name's Namir. Namir Jerusalem. My friends would call me Taiga if I actually had more than one friend, if you can even call her that. She told me to come here. Said it's got a killer gym and amenities that just won't quit. Couldn't pass up an offer like that, now could I? You guys take American Express, right?"

[Ms Silver Lining]

:::Τσmαhι τλε Nεκσ ☠
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It sure was early for the young neko to be up and about. She usually went digging for gold when it was darker and more people out. Yet, lately she felt less and less safe around later parts of the day. As if it was no longer safe to hide in the darkness. There have been some strange activities carrying on around her part of town. Mysterious humans have been coming and going as they please. The only time she felt the safest was when she took the form of her cat. It made her uneasy when a few humans continued to stare at her cat form as if she was about to perform a trick for them. In all her life she's never truly new who the CLOAK organization was. She was already confused and ignorant of herself how could she focus on the world around her. Then again, there was so much activity that Tomahi knew something wasn't right.

So now she woke up in the early mornings and moved to the shopping district part of town. There were always people here ready to work or spend their money. She stood at the corner of a street leaning on the wood telephone post watching a male use the pay phone. She wore a black jacket along with a black hat that kept her ears pressed to her head and covered the side of her head where human ears were suppose to be. The hood was pulled over her head to somewhat block off the morning light. She kept her gloved hands shoved in her jacket pockets and her hazel eyes on the ground ahead of her. Under the zipped jacket she wore a skin tight, long sleeve, grey, turtleneck that stopped a little past her little butt. I almost looked as if it could pass for a dress but it was a little too short. Then again she's seen females with real shirts on and tried to pull them off as dresses. She at least wore some straight-legged black jeans and sneakers. Wrapped tightly around her waist was her thin black tail. It's tip tapped casually against her belly under the jacket.

She glanced up to check and see if the male was still using the phone. He was well dressed, like that of a businessman. His hair was well groomed, slicked back into a low ponytail that fell down his back. A navy blue suit with white strips, gold buttons, a briefcase that he held tightly in his other hand, and black framed glasses. He was the type of target Tomahi couldn't ignore and she had to take her chances. He finally hung up the phone, fixed his tie, and walked away from the phone booth towards her. Tomahi pushed off the pole she was leaning against hand headed towards him. His eyes were steady, focused on the path ahead of him, hardly looking at the neko approaching. Most humans in the city hardly looked up or around. They all seemed to know where they were going in this weird systematic way. So taking from them was all the more easier. However, in the middle of her classic side bump, pass, and take, her wrist was snatched up and held up her head.

Mildly shocked that he caught her and managed to grab her hand the neko could temporally do nothing. "Sticky fingers? This early in the morning?" The man grumbled. In her rush to understand the situation she quickly spat a reply without hesitation. "I'm sorry mister but you're mistaken I just bumped into you." She turned her head from left to right noticing the busy humans staring as they walked by. A male even stopped to ask if everything was okay. Too much attention on her made her nervous and nervous meant she had little control over what may happen next. The male that still held her wrist stared awfully hard in her eyes. As if he was looking for something whilst ignoring the second male who had come to her aid. Tomahi blinked, feeling the fear slowly sink in. What was he staring at? What did he want? She hadn't even the chance to go in his pocket. She's never been caught before and what about the growing number of people around them? The more there were the less room she had to run. Panic began to pour from her and a dark shadow twisted like smoke in the center of her hazel eyes.

"HEY!" The second male shouted as the male holding her wrist yanked Tomahi's body from the ground. He saw it! He saw the darkness and could feel her body trembling in his hand. She was a demon! What luck to catch one so easily? Indeed the male who had snatched her hand turned out to be an agent of CLOAK and if Tomahi had understood the dangers of this situation most of the humans surrounding them would already be dead. 'Breathe,' she told herself. Holding her breathing was only making her light headed and a little more unaware. The colors of the world were slowly smudging into dark shades of grey and black the more the shadows played in her eyes. "Please...just let go...of my hand, sir. I haven't done...anything." She huffed focusing her eyes on him as best she could. Oh but little did she know he would not be letting go of her hand so easily. He had already began to call in his find…

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

Victory had indeed been Sera’s, but there had been little to rejoice about once she discovered Sono’s ploy. Having reached the Inn in record time, Sera had done her very best to adhere to the rules of the race, but unable to help herself by occasionally grabbing a bite to eat along the way; quite literally. There were now a few more people going about their daily jobs, cursing the likes of some strange blonde female who had stolen their food just moments before it had touched their lips. And what a quick one she was.
Sera slowed her pace down when the Inn came into sight, leaping up the steps two at a time and pushing past the doors to head inside the lobby. Sono wasn’t here.
“Clearly I won.” She crowed, glancing swiftly at Mizu who looked dead at the counter, or bored, Sera couldn’t tell and already she was making her way to the food in the dining room. As she pushed open the door to peek inside, doing so because she wasn’t sure if Bob would still be lurking around there.. like some… lurker. She still didn’t totally get the concept of him being a Zombie, death wasn’t something she really dealt with, after all, as a Phoenix she was merely reborn, instead of just dying. But Bob… he wasn’t exactly dead and he wasn’t exactly freshly reborn either. It baffled Sera, but she loved him all the same purely due to his talents with the fine cuisine; and plus he was easy to manipulate if you combined three very important things, ‘cute’, ‘candy’ and ‘stuffed animals’, which also fell under cute, but Sera stuck with it as three.

Looking around the room though, she grinned when Sono wasn’t in sight, confirming her victory even more. There was a small group of people gathered about, Sera recognised a couple faces; the medical man, that creepy female who gave Sera the creeps, she seemed to be getting along well with that card guy… Leon was it? Sera frowned, realising that she really wasn’t much for socialising at times, then again, it has only been two weeks, but even so, she couldn’t remember the names of these people.
Backing out of the room, Sera turned back to the lobby, wondering why Sono hadn’t arrived yet; had he met with trouble on his side? She frowned a little and headed to the front door, going straight back outside, throwing her hood up over her head as she jogged down the steps. It was then that something fluttered past her cheek and skittered across the pavement, Sera blinked and leant down to inspect the mysterious object.

“Paper?” Curious, she picked it up, seeing that it was all folded up, it was only natural that she unfold it and then she began reading what was written. “….” Her hands trembled; the air shimmering like a desert mirage, the small piece of paper was incinerated within a mere second. “b*****d! I’ll kill him!” She shouted loudly, not caring who heard. Sera turned towards a lamp post, kicking it savagely with the heel of her trainer, the post shuddered with every kick, a slight dent forming, mostly due to the combination of heat as well as pressure. “Sono you piece of s**t! Wait till I find you!” She cried out, and with that she ran off down the street, back into the city, having already forgotten the part in the note that said ‘I may see you there.’ Being too consumed with her anger at now having a useless favour, a hollow victory, Sera did not feel like going back to the Inn just yet, despite those delicious aromas of the breakfast. No, she needed to control herself right now, forget about the Inn, the race and Sono; she needed to do something that would take her mind away from all that. Seeing as her usual ‘jog around the park’ was out of the question, Sera decided that maybe a detour into the shopping district was in order. Despite the fact that she was still dressed in her joggers outfit, but then, it was nice enough to be classed as casual wear, she just had to zip her jacket up to conceal the sports bra.

“I can buy new clothes. It’s fine.” Patting the zipped up side pocket in her red sweatpants, she gave a brief smile at the familiar outline shape of her wallet that held those precious plastic cards that came in very handy during frustrating times such as these. So she headed in that direction, having been to the Inn and out again, all before Sono had ever arrived, and even if she had bumped into him, she would never have recognised him, for the image of him as that fiery male was now too imprinted on her mind. She had completely forgotten about any other time she had seen him before their meeting in the park.

With a brisk pace, she soon became immersed in the shopping district, the bustling crowds of humans going about their daily business of money spending and battling it out to obtain their hearts desires. Sera had seen the power that the ‘Sale’ sign had over some human women, it was unnerving at times, the lengths at which some people go to in order to buy some material goods. Sure, Sera loved to treat herself to bags of clothes, expensive food and even splurge on jewellery, but to fight someone over some material goods? There was no point. Fighting over food was a different matter entirely.

“Hey!”

Sera lifted her head, above the drone of traffic and vague background sound of voices, she caught the distinct tone of someone shouting in alarm; or was it anger? Shaking her head, she looked around, standing in the middle of the street, shoulders brushing past her as her eyes drifted down the street to stare at the spectacle of a well dressed business looking man holding a female by the wrist. She could tell almost instantly that the business man’s presence was threatening towards the female, who seemed to be having a bit of a panic; at least that was how it seemed to Sera, who was watching from a couple yards away, she could hear the females voice from where she stood, as clear as if it was spoken beside her.
Was it fight or flight in these kinds of situations? Even if it wasn’t happening to her personally. Sera felt her body tense with anticipation, her feet moving of their own accord, pulling her towards the situation that had her senses tingling all over. She wasn’t hiding the fact that she was staring at them either, standing a mere few feet away now and watching them openly with a blank expression. Her mind briefly attempted to reach out and delve into this situation a bit more deeply, just as her body had moved by itself, now her mind chose to pry into the business man’s head and find out what his deal was. But for some reason she couldn’t make heads or tails of his thoughts, she was only skimming the surface, but still, nothing but an ache at the back of her mind. Shaking her head and blinking a few times, feeling as if she’d just been knocked lightly, Sera frowned and then quickly shot her gaze to something in the shop window she stood beside, having caught sight of something shiny in her peripheral vision.
“Omigosh! I haven’t got one like that yet! It would go so well with that new outfit I got the other day! Wow! That one too!” Her tone taking on a higher pitch, words blending into one another as she spoke rapidly to herself, her eyes as big and gold as the jewellery that had captured her attention. Being a hero was never her strong suit.

[Yoshkun]

Vincent stood high above the situation draped in the shadows the tall billboards provided, his lit red orbs glimmering like polished rubies when the man below stepped into the phone booth on the corner. He had been tracking this man for exactly four days now; from sunrise to dusk he would stalk from darkened corners and learn the man’s patterns from the coffee he drank to how many times he stopped to straighten that rather messy wad of hair. Once a target’s patterns were completely memorized, it would only be nightfall before there was an opportunity to strike and drink the sweet victorious taste of the man’s blood. To a normal everyday person this may seem cruel or monstrous, but little did they know behind those fancy drabs lay an assassin from one of the western government’s deadly programs; the CLOAK initiative. Oh yes, the vampire was aware of their little club and how they sought to experiment or destroy those deemed ‘unnatural’. Unfortunately for them, Vincent had a small scuffle with one of their lesser trained agents and was able to secure some of their gear. Of course it was all deactivated once the user dies, but the scent of the chemicals used in these devices remained. This was all the advantage he needed to find nearby agents and rightfully slaughter them for what they were doing. Besides, it was his duty to rid the world of ‘the dark gift’; not theirs.

While the man talked feverishly on the phone to his contact, Vincent began to quickly scope the area surrounding him to make sure there wasn’t something or someone he hadn't accounted for. He couldn’t believe the hogwash that humans filled into their petty imagination about vampires being afraid of sunlight. Sure, a lot of intense light was deadly, but it was foolish to think an immortal creature could so easily burned alive by such fragile means. It wasn’t extremely bright on this particular morning but it would limit his ability to move through shadows to some degree, and that could be a problem if the target caught onto their little game of cat and mouse he was unwittingly entangled in. Luckily, there seemed to be nothing to be terribly worried about at the moment.

However that was the precise moment his gaze landed on the young girl leaning up against the pole, even through all of that clothing he could tell that she hadn’t taken her eyes off of the CLOAK agent from the moment he had stepped into that booth. She did seem to have a similar scent about her from what he could tell, but she was no vampire. Did she also know this man was an agent of CLOAK? What was she planning to do to him? Kill him? In all honesty, even though he would lose a good meal...it would end up saving him a lot of trouble in the long run if she did.

This scenario would not come to fruition however as he could only watch silently while the woman followed the man once he left the booth and found herself dangling above the ground by the wrist, caught almost instantaneously after brushing up against his shoulder. The agent seemed to realize the ‘purse-snatcher’ was more than your average thief as the situation deepened, garnering the unwanted attention of passing pedestrians in the process.

The fool, he muttered irritably under his breath while taking a good survey of the buildings around him to make sure there were no back up agents ready to kill the girl (or him for that matter) at a moments notice. He had worked too damn hard for this petty shadow to mess things up for him now, and if the agent got a complete call into headquarters there would be zero chance for him to be able to finish his job for at least another two weeks. It seemed that he was going to have to intervene after all, provided this girl did seem to have some of the darkness in her; that made her temporarily useful. He would be able to use her as a jumping point in which he could ‘glide’ from here to there seemingly unnoticed; but slipping past the attention of an aware CLOAK agent wouldn’t be easy.

Even after almost three hundred years of doing this, he had still never gotten used to the rush of moving at such unnatural speeds. He inhaled deeply before taking a single step forward, his body moving in an nearly invisible cloud of black towards the situation until he was standing right in front of the girl; as if he had been on the street the entire time. Vincent himself was pretty much the living example of the old saying "Tall, dark, and handsome.” His long flowing black hair went well past his shoulders, he was tall and had a tanner complexion than noted in those ‘myths’, which was a nice feature to have when you had an overall array of darker features about you like Vincent did. His eyes were a very vibrant shade of green to any normal human that got lost in their depths, but to an agent with special contacts, they would appear as they actually are; blood red. His clothes were also black as one might have guessed, stylized in a very modern European sense of fashion to fit his taste. The only curious item about him was the necklace with a rather expensive looking cross dangling on his neck onto his partly exposed chest. His slender fingers immediately wrapped firmly around the man’s wrist that was currently squeezing the life out of Tomahi’s arm; his grip pressing so hard that the CLOAK agent would have no choice but to drop the young kitten or continue to face to endure the incredible pain if he truly valued his captured prize.

“Excuse me, sir. I believe my young friend here simply made a mistake…” His tone was calm but not without a threatening hiss coming from somewhere in the back of his throat. He hoped this little diversion would prevent the agent from completing his call, as that was a situation he could NOT afford in broad daylight. These two shadowy creatures would be like fish gasping for breath on an otherwise unforgiving stretch of steaming sand.

“I suggest you just let her go..” He taunted, his eyes squinting dangerously as he continued to keep a death grip on the man’s wrist. The vampire was aware enough to keep his voice quiet enough to prevent wandering ears from picking it up, as he would try to avoid confrontation at any cost.

[Ms Silver Lining]

:::Τσmαhι τλε Nεκσ ☠
=======================================»»

There was an odd arrange of words whispering in her ears. They weren't coming from the people around her so it had to be her sinister conscious. This voice was a voice she tried her hardest to ignore. Listening to it would only make it louder and the louder it was the less control she could carry. She lifted her hand to shove into her pocket when a stranger suddenly gripped the agent’s wrist. Caught off guard the agent snapped his head towards the pale vampire gasping at his blood red eyes. There were two of them! Yet, he couldn't call for backup from the sharp pain exploding in his wrist. Tomahi's feet touched the ground a second later after he gasped in pain. It was as if the man was trying not to scream, mostly to protect his pride. No idea when this stranger showed up, the neko looked up get an eye full of her savior but all she could see was the cross dangling across his pale chest. She didn't take note of the almost perfect physique or the way his shirt fit against such lovely skin. She hadn't even glanced at the mans face! Her trained eyes were focused on the shining article casually taunting her as it tapped lazily against his chest.

Unconsciously rubbing her wrist she stared at his necklace with full intention on taking it. 'Now while his distracted,' a raspy and snake like voice whispered to her. Slick as gel and on a heartbeat her small slender fingers snatched at the air, wisps of gray shadows encircled the jewel and, it was removed from his neck in less than a second. "Baster!" The agent shouted reaching for his concealed weapon while Tomahi made quick haste to get out of the situation as fast as possible. The hood of her jacket flung from her head as she made her way between the people along the streets. Her black hat still covered her head so her ears were hidden and pressed against her head. In her rush to get away she bumped into Sera but instead of knocking her over; Tomahi turned her body in the other direction doing a full circle, tripping, and catching herself before dashing along down the street. Then swinging around a pole and down an alley for a more shaded route.

No, she did not stop to say sorry or thank you. When it was time to get out there were no time for hello's and goodbyes. One could wonder if she was even grateful for being saved from a possible problem. It didn't seem so. She even had the audacity to snatch the man's item without so much as uttering a single word of thanks. She grinned, devilishly clinching onto the cross in her hand. Its chain was long and dangled in the air, reflecting the light it caught from the sun. She shoved her hand into her pocket and dropped the chain into a dark hole that led to where she kept everything she took. She could fit anything in her shadow pocket but at the same time it didn't preserve anything. If she forgot about food she might have stored away it would surely go bad.

After racing six or seven blocks away the neko stopped, leaning over with her hands pressed against her knees. Small puffs of clouds circled her lips as she looked over her shoulder checking to see if anyone had followed her. She straightened her back doing a full circle to make sure she wasn't being followed. She wasn't sure if she was safe or not so she turned back around and continued to jog. Her footsteps were so light that they hardly made a sound, however, that didn't matter when the bustling of the streets would have covered the sound if they did. She removed the glove from one of her hands and slipped two fingers under her hat to scratch the side of her head. It was uncomfortable to have her ears pressed to her head all day, even though this day was still the beginning, but she couldn't remove the hat. Still running she pulled the side of the hat a little lower and paused at a corner to wait for the light to change and the zooming cars on the busy street to stop. 'Safe.' Or so she thought.

[Vincent W Sinnet]

The Witch Hunter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"I tell ya, Jorge, respect is a hard thing to come by. Now I don't mean that there anything wrong with my coworkers, but hell, they give me such a hard time I don't think they even want me around. I do Job well, but they can't see that, think I'm nuts or somethin'. Bit chatty if nothin' else. Just speak what's on my mind at the time, and trust me, with the people I have to deal with there's a lot to think about. But we all have deal with hard times, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Can't expect everyone to understand, after all, most of them just work they own ways and they got that right. We is individuals after all, so we got the right to act like. Heaven forbid we all start actin' like a single entity, individual thought is what pushes after all. Aint no such thing as a new idea when everyone is thinkin' it at the same time. Ah, thanks amigo."

It was only just then that Richard realized the hot dog he had ordered from the vendor was ready. It had everything on it, Ketchup, Mustard, Sauerkraut, Relish and onions. It was all piled on and the poor little man who was forced to listen to Richard's ramblings held it out, inwardly pleading that Richard would take it. Richard finally did, devouring half of it in one bite. But even though Richard took the hot dog, it wouldn't save the little man from Richard's ramblings. Richard was an agent of CLOAK, this was a fact. But another fact was that nobody outside of CLOAK knew that he was an agent of CLOAK. Which wasn't abnormal but Richard took it to an extreme. In public he ignored other CLOAK agents, he never gave out his real name and at times he would carry on pleasant conversations with the Naturals. Richard's cover meant everything and he would even go so far as to kill another CLOAK agent to keep it.

"But ya know, that's just a wanderin' minds thoughts. It's nice though, to get out of the office and let your mind wander a bit. Madness favors a shut in after all. Anyways, thanks for listening to an old man's ramblings amigo." With that Richard was off, the old man running the small hot dog stand let out a sigh of relief and went about his work. Richard devoured the rest of the hot dog but a small pit still remained unnourished within his soul. A thirst to quench was now at the front of his thoughts since his hunger had been quelled. It was common for Richard to complain about his grievances to complete strangers, even about his Job though he was careful not to reveal anything that could blow his cover. Walking into a coffee shop, Richard found himself ordering just a medium cup of black coffee. It was simple, he didn't want to burden the employees with a complicated order. Richard sipped it casually as he wandered down the street. His long white coat was kept closed, so all that could be seen of the rest of his clothes where the bottoms of his blue jeans and his brown boots.

Eventually he came to a busy street corner where he took a big gulp of his hot coffee. Exhaling a content sigh, Richard followed it up with a quote "Darker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than hell itself...that is coffee." Richard smiled as he said this. He may have said this out loud simply because he could or perhaps because of the young woman who also waited to cross the street at the very same street corner. Either way, Richard didn't need an excuse to speak out loud about whatever came to his mind. "A beautiful and delicious thing, as simple as it is, I am glad to allow it to nourish my soul this fine morning." With that Richard took another sip, his smile as warm as the coffee he drank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Greaves

[Yoshkun]

Vincent had been too focused on the agent, who happened to be currently cringing visibly from the sharp pain in his wrist, to even notice the neko girl being lowered to the sidewalk and eventually set free. His only concern was interrupting the agent’s communication call and therefore becoming more of a hassle than he should be. This guy wasn’t exactly elite to say the least, but even in low ranking groups, members of CLOAK could be deadly. The only question now was what to do with the sorry b*****d. He couldn’t exactly sink his teeth into his neck and suck his blood clean from his veins on a crowded street in broad daylight. Even if he did something as simple as drag him off and simply kill him in the shadows, it could still arose suspicion and possible pedestrian followers; and that was equally dangerous.

In fact, the question puzzled him so much that it distracted his attention long enough for the wisp of smoke and fingers to wrap around his prized pendant and snatch it clean off his neck. He felt the necklace snap with ease as she turned to run, his immediate reaction of chasing her was stalled when he caught the agent drawing a firearm; quickly knocking the weapon onto the street with a fast flicker of the back of his wrist. He probably should have let him shoot her dead for what she did, but his rage was now fully concentrated on the man since she had escaped their view.

“I swear to every higher authority you believe in that if you call in any kind of back up or reinforcements to this area…I will personally do everything in my power to separate every limb from your fleshy body!” He hissed, throwing the man roughly down to the ground by the wrist and ran in the opposite direction of the girl. If he was going to catch her, he was going to need the cover of the alleys to move through the shadows and that’s exactly what he had in mind.

That wasn’t just any cross that the shadow cat had so freely taken, that was his cross. That was the cross of his mother’s heritage. That cross was his last shred of humanity; a reminder of a past life. He couldn’t remember much about being human since it was over three centuries ago, but he did specifically remember his mother giving him that cross. He didn’t remember what she looked like but he liked to think she was religious. In any case, he had kept that for over three hundred years as a symbol of his sanity and he wasn’t going to lose it now to some no good ungrateful street punk.

Her scent was easy enough to follow, considering that they both nearly left the same flavorful impression on Vincent’s nostrils when he smelt her moving a few blocks ahead. He kept flowing with the same grace as before, gliding from shadow to shadow as he trailed behind her; waiting for the moment to strike as if on one of his many blood hunts. Eventually, the woman had to stop as she waited for some traffic to pass and he knew this would be as good of an opportunity as any.

Luckily, the nearest shadow happened to be a little ways behind her as he stepped out of it; his glowering red pupils would alert her of his presence had she not been so focused on the flickering lights and moving traffic. He silently approached from behind and snatched her up by the shoulders as to turn her around to face him; his eyes that should have been boiling with rage were actually rather subdued.

“I believe you have something of mine, kitty.” He stated calmly, his gaze never leaving her facial features as he peered so deeply into her own pupils it may have seemed like he was looking directly through them. Vampires throughout history were naturally lonely and lustful creatures and it was only on instinct that they sought out companions; but Vincent never did. It was absolute torture to his senses but he tried so hard to drift away from others that seemed compatible, unless he sought their blood…but for some reason his mind wandered elsewhere on this unusual occasion. As angry as he was at the girl, he couldn’t help but muse what kind of ears she held under that hat now that he recognized the scent to be partly feline.

“I suggest you hand it over and perhaps be more careful. The third man you rob may just kill you.” He stated as a suggestion and as a direct warning that he wasn’t kidding around. He would kill her for that cross. It meant everything to him. In fact, he was so concentrated on getting his necklace back, that he didn't even notice the odd man standing beside them.

[Vincent W Sinnet]

So he had risen from the sands and brought with what? Years of his life was unaccounted for, a blank space in his life. Only he knew and chose to constantly keep in the dark. So the story then went that he had risen from the sands and brought with him justice. Criminals, he hunted the bounties on criminals. Gesso knew well enough that all kinds made mistakes. He would not hunt a bounty made up of mistakes. He only hunted criminals. Oh how he hunted criminals. Weeks of stalking, planning waiting. So many much more powerful than he, but he had such ingenuity. Traps were laid and sprung so precisely, which was amazing enough for a man with only one arm to work with. But balancing the fate of criminals on one hand was a feat to earn him recognition. Gesso was a man of strength and honor, virtues not found in many. But the tag, Bounty Hunter, came with it's own troubles, stereotypes, not all very good. But that was life, Gesso dealt with it as it came up.

Gesso spent a bit of time investigating the outside of the Inn, despite it's rather dreary appearance. He did happen to see a young woman go in and then back out of the Inn. He had to wonder if it was as abandoned as it looked. Still he felt something pulling heart, drawing him into this place. It was too late, he couldn't bear it any more. He had to open those tremendous doors and venture inside this place. His one hand was almost trembling as it reached out for the door. With little struggle he made it in through the door and he was almost overcome with what he saw. Such a beautiful lobby welcomed him. It was nothing like the dreary outer exterior of this place. It was so warm, so comforting. Gesso had to take the wide brimmed sombrero off of his head just to get a good look of the place. Revealing his lengthy black hair and soft green eyes. His one hand clutched the brim of the sombrero tightly, it was so amazing, or so he thought at least, just the very lobby of this building.

As the look of shock dissipated from him, a smile came to his face. It was just a small smile, but it radiated a great warmth. Gesso's eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, it grazed over the people in the lobby. A rather meek looking boy, at least in comparison to the massive tiger/man standing near to him. As well as a woman who resembled a skunk of all things. It was all so delightful that Gesso could barely contain himself. He finally let out. "What a beautiful place..." It was in a soft and quiet tone, but no so much that it would go by unheard. Gesso started walking from one end of the room to the other. Dropping his sombrero as he reached a new wall so that he might reach out and touch it. Forgetting his hat, he then started moving across the room again. searching out new things to see.

"So delightful, so wonderful." Just from seeing this place he knew that maybe this would be the place that he could finally relax at. Gesso worked so hard after all. Tracking, trapping and turning in. Well, it was a lot harder than that. The danger of it all was very stressful as well. Gesso went against true criminals, people and creatures that wouldn't think twice about tearing Gesso to shreds. Being so close to such people, trying to get inside their heads and routines. Gesso really needed a break from all that, a break from all the people and contacts. Gesso really just wanted to rest. Gesso was waiting and hoping that this place could be such a place.

[Kitsune]

The woman chortled to herself, amused by his comment on her curves. Being a spider, she was a it concerned for her hourglass figure so hearing that was certainly pleasing to her ears. This tenderloin of a lion was quite the flatterer. Mama-san stared across the table at her breakfast company for a good long moment without offering a response to his invitation. Mentally, however, she had reached a conclusion about him that she didn't bother sharing. 'You're something else, Leon-san.' Something else, indeed. The man had guts. Enough to vaguely remind her of the foolhardy men of old who went marching into the unforgiving darkness of her previous homes in hopes of carving a name for themselves in her flesh. Each and every one of them failed in their endeavors, though two or three might argue that they gained something far better from her than a simple hero's reputation. And it was precisely those two or three that Mama-san was reminded of when looking at Leon. 'Do something crazy, huh? Impulsive little scamp,' she thought to herself, still smiling in her coy fashion. Perhaps she would take him up on his little offer. He seemed so interested in getting to know her. Maybe even the real her. Far be it from her to disappoint. If her day truly turned out to be boring, she just might go along to this Smiling Aces place he spoke of.

Mama-san actually grinned a little at Leon's response to Bob's prodding. His countenance faltered at the hand of the undead chef and his mask of friendliness cracked just enough to allow her a fleeting glimpse of his angry face. And angry it was! The woman's grin curled a little more at the edges, her lips threatening to part and reveal the budding fangs behind them. Clearly the kitty didn't like the attention from Bob. As for Bob, well he didn't seem all that interested at all. Even though he was the one who earned the reaction. Not a smirk or smartass comment. A wee bit disappointing, though she didn't show it. Still grinning to herself, the woman lifted the final strip of bacon from her plate and took a bite out of it, moving the morsel around in her mouth before swallowing it down. And just like that, her breakfast acquiantance switched gears and calmed. It was almost as if he hadn't lost his cool at all and had fallen right back into the familiar nice guy routine. Almost if it wasn't for the lingering irritation hanging on to the lion as he stalked away to raid the buffet. The woman was about to comment on Bob's uncanny ability to unsettle lions when the undead chef spoke first.

She turned her gaze upon him, though her head remained stationary, the strip of half-eaten bacon still held in her upraised hand. At the mention of special requests, her gaze naturally switched to the basket at her feet before returning to Bob. While it would be interesting to see what Bob could do to the little nibblet trapped in her basket, she knew it would taste best raw. She preferred it that way. But, should she slip off with Leon and come across another nibblet worth snatching up for herself, Bob could count on her bringing it back for him to cook up. Perhaps she'd go shopping for some of the more exotic ingredients to toss in along with it. Braised, seared, roasted or served up like sashimi, Mama-san would enjoy sampling whatever he decided to make for her special request. "Oh I will," she assured. "I certainly will. She gave him a pleasant smile then turned her focus on Leon as he returned to the table with his breakfast. At the same time, Bob left and Mama-san gave the chef a sidelong glance before focusing on the remaining company.

The spider-woman looked across the table at Leon as he reminisced on his first hunt. She tried to picture a cub chasing down an antelope, but the only things that came to mind were scenes from nature shows. The spider had lived a long time, but never set foot off the island she was born on until she was chased on to a boat headed for New City. Was the jungles of Africa really like the ones they showed on television? Did he really have to compete with hyenas, crocodiles and the ever cranky water buffalo? What did antelope taste like? Was it as gamey as a horse? As juicy as livestock? She finished off the bacon in her hand and reached out for one of the flapjacks, placing a syrupy sausage on it and rolling it up like a pig in a blanket. "Interesting... I can't say I've ever been to Africa, but I've crossed a lion or two," she said before chortling to herself. "And you're right. You have to do what you have to for the sake of survival. Even pack up and leave your home to find a new one thousands of miles away." She took a bite out of the pig in a blanket and swallowed it down. "What do I do? Nothing as dynamic as playing card tournaments around the country. I run a house of burlesque--an upscale little place down south with top-notch entertainment. Nothing like the rundown strip joints and classless skin shows you find in abundance in a city like this." She smirked some and looked Leon in the eye. The shows were more like Broadway musicals though they did border on raunchy every now and then. Especially when her more promiscuous daughters did their so-called Dance of the Nine Silk Veils.

Catching sight of Miwa as she made her way to the buffet table, the spider-woman's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She hadn't had mutton in a good long while...

[Kitsune]

Cerano couldn't help but notice how blindly this girl followed him. Like the pied piper, he could have led the trusting beauty into a den of ravenous lions where she would be torn to shreds and devoured. Of course the matagot would never do anything so heinous. Intentionally, anyway. It was merely an interesting thought. Though cautious, Miwa had little to fear from Cerano and he, being the courteous fellow he was, would not dream of bringing her harm. He was probably one of only a handful of people who resided in this place that didn't have a sordid past steeped in death and destruction. He glanced at the woman to make sure she was keeping up and hadn't wandered off on her own and noticed her toying with her gown. Not absently as lost girls usually did as they fretted over their fate and the fate of any companions they might have been separated from. No, she seemed entirely too focused on it. What could possibly be so interesting about such a simple garment? She didn't look up at all. Not to look at him or even to see where she was being led. 'She's like Snow White,' he mused to himself. 'Ever trusting, she let the beasts of the forest guide her without a worry at all.' Not that he was comparing himself to a common 'beast of the forest'. Pushing the thought aside, Cerano turned back in the direction they were headed.

As they neared the dining room, the butler picked up the pace just a bit and sought out Miwa again to make sure she was still with him. She was and, unlike a few moments ago, she seemed a little more alert. He actually caught her glancing about though it was quick and she didn't appear to note anything of importance. And just as quickly, her attention went to her twiddling fingers as if she were a baby and had just discovered the dainty little appendages. Each time he made a turn, he looked back and watched with amusement as her body instinctively followed though her eyes never left her own hands. Her fascination with them was somewhat amusing. It wasn't everyday that one came across someone like Miwa. He hoped whoever she was staying with would take better care and look after her closely. All it would take is one negative influence to draw her into a horrible circumstance and she, like himself, would find herself knee deep in debt and trouble. Hopefully not to Janet. Who knew what she'd do to the poor girl if she accrued a financial debt she could not pay! Perhaps she would end up as a maid. Iria would probably welcome that. Cerano finally realized he was still staring at Miwa and quickly turned away. Thankfully the sheep didn't seem to notice him. That would have been awkward.

Though their path did not take them directly into the lobby where the newest guests of the inn were starting to gather, it did bring them close enough for Cerano to get a look at them from afar. The motley bunch were as varied as one would expect. He also caught sight of Mizu, but he was busy with what could only be viewed as a giant weretiger and the boss-lady wasn't far behind. Cerano quickly turned his head, pretending not to notice while also making a more conscious effort of appearing helpful to Miwa. When the girl suddenly turned her smile on him, he blinked at her in mild confusion then looked toward the double doors. Ah, so she knew where she was now. He watched her rush away in excitement, her focus on the food no doubt. With a cheerful smile, he waved at her back. "You are most welcome, little lamb!" She was through the door and out of sight before he lowered his hand and chuckled. "Hopefully you don't end up on someone's plate."

A shame he didn't get her name. Or give her his. Oh well. She'd no doubt remember his face and that was all that mattered.

With that little issue attended to, and feeling quite good with himself for helping someone so early in the morning, Cerano spun around and headed back out toward the lobby to check in with things at the front desk. Hopefully Janet saw him working and wouldn't immediately jump on his case. Though she never really had to have a reason for jumping on his case. He slipped his gloved hands in his pockets and walked right past Gesso, feeling the man would come to the desk and check-in when he felt ready to. Far be it from him to disturb a man as he took in his surroundings. Though, in retrospect, he probably should have. It was one of his many job duties. The matagot approached the front desk, casting a glance at Mizu as he droned on and on as he often did and Janet before looking over, and up, at the giant of a tiger. He blinked and stepped back, taking everything in before stepping around to Taiga's opposite side. While the Caspian himself was more than impressive and well worth the good long look he was given, what he chose to dress himself in left much to be desired. It was so...unsuitable! A travesty of taste! Cerano's latest venture into the cutthroat world of fashion might have ended unfavorably, but he still had an eye for it and his eye could see Taiga dressed in something a little more suitable. Snapping out of his slight daze, he returned to his senses and cleared his throat. Giving a guest a criticizing once-over wasn't exactly grand customer service. He made his way around to the counter and leaned against it, resting his elbow slightly behind him while offering an amiable smile. "Actually, that depends, my fluffy friend. How high is the line of credit?" His boss probably wouldn't approve of that response but Cerano couldn't pass on a chance to say it.

[Yoshkun]

Mizu was truly convinced Ms. Diggers trusted him a great deal to leave him solely in charge of her ‘magically protected safe’. He often wondered what other things it held besides the items he would often see her put in, but she had told him something horrible would happen to him if he touched it; which instantly wiped away any curious notions he had to place his fingertips upon said box. The imp was often known to daydream about silly fantasies such as these, but luckily his favorite skunk employer knew how to bring him firmly back into reality.

His muscles immediately reacted to the playful, if not a little harsh, slap on the lower back; straightening up so tight that he looked like a soldier who had just been disciplined by his unruly drill sergeant. Then followed the usual questionnaire that usually consisted of several inquiries about his duties, each more challenging and more complicated than the last. Say what you will about Mizu, but his knowledge of the Inn was flawless. It didn’t matter if she asked about the creaky window in Room 11 to the shaky door on the third floor; Mizu knew everything about everything. It was nearly impossible to conclude why the imp knew so much about the Inn, or how he knew so much, but Ms. Diggers never questioned it. If Cerano was her piece for looks and Iria was the piece for cleaning, then Mizu was surely the piece for questions.

When she seemed satisfied with his answers and walked away, Mizu gently rubbed the sore spot she had laid upon his back and turned towards to the massive tiger; wincing only slightly.” I wouldn’t exactly call this a house for ‘freaks and misfits’, sir. Surely we can agree that people who are not human consider that particular race to be a bit odd themselves.” He stated plainly, using a single index finger to turn to the latest page on the check-in book before sliding it around so it faced Taiga.

“Your friend was certainly right about the gym, Mr. Jerusalem. Ms. Diggers prides herself on having top of the line equipment and entertainment for her guest. You must forgive me for being a little unsettled by your ‘bigness’, as it would be very rare to see such a creature where I am from.” He said with a friendly smile, pulling out a shimmering golden pen from the leftmost drawer and setting it beside the book.

“Yes sir, the Elysium Inn takes all major credit cards. All you have to do is sign your name beside the room you want and let me run your card through the machine here. That way I can get the appropriate key and you will be billed accordingly to your charges. So, if everything is in order, you may sign in any of the empty rooms or in the alternate slot if you are planning on staying with someone else.” His finger pointed to an example of each of these slots as he spoke, the same grin plastered upon his lips as before; the fear of Taiga seemed to have completely vanished, despite those rows of impressively sharp teeth.

Mizu had to draw his attention away from Taiga as his gaze landed firmly on Gesso, who happened to be an oddly dressed man in his opinion; but in a good way. He really liked that thing wrapped around his body like a multicolored blanket of some sort, but the hat did seem a bit excessive. Nevertheless, Mizu watched curiously as the man began to survey the room. He didn’t mind such a curious streak, as it reminded him of himself, but Ms. Diggers would be furious if he went unattended.

“Sir!” He called out to him, shifting his head to the side so the man could see him past the ginormous beast standing in the way.”If you need some assistance, then I can be with you in a moment!” He stated cheerily, flashing that pleased smile that his face seemed so accustomed to.

It was about this time that Cerano decided to make his presence felt in his usual swagger, the imp’s eyes visibly narrowing when he observed him inwardly critiquing his guest; the imp knew that disapproving yet observant smirk from anywhere. The feline even had the gall to put his elbow oh so nonchalantly onto his prized desk. He spent hours making sure his desk was spotless and kept in perfect order, and now there were sure to be smudges that Iria would think were his own. If this didn’t make Mizu mad enough already, Cerano was obviously trying to smooze his way into impressing Ms. Diggers while taking his guests in the process. This was his chance to impress the skunk and his chance to meet some new faces…and Cerano was going to snatch it all away from him again! This time, he would not admit defeat so quietly.

“Hey! Get your smudgy elbow off my desk, Cerano! I’ve got this. I’m sure there is some mademoiselle in desperate need of a refill of champagne or something.” He huffed while gritting his teeth lightly. Like some sort of evil magician, this man always appeared when he sensed Mizu had a sliver of hope about him and it drove the imp crazy.