The Demon Hunters

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Dream Spirit

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Original poster
In the Higashiyama District in Kyoto by the eastern forests lies a strange building. The building is four stories tall and its architecture looks to be a mix of old and new Japanese styles, as if different parts of the building were built at different time periods. There are two large satellite dishes located on its roof and sometimes strange glowing lights can be seen inside at night. Surrounding the building were many cherry trees, the oldest one being to the left side of the building. They looked quite lovely when they bloomed in the springtime. To the right of the entrance of the building hung a crooked sign that read “Hunters” in red paint.

Currently, there wasn’t much going on in the headquarters of the Hunters. Things had been unusually quiet lately. Most of the demons that had been appearing lately were quite weak and disorganized. Many of the younger and less experienced Hunters hadn’t received a mission in a while since higher ranked Hunters were considered first when giving missions. However, many of the Hunters believed that his was simply the calm before the storm. The demons were most likely planning something.

Neil was sitting on a cushion against the wall in the main dining and meeting area of the Hunters. The wall he was leaning against was covered in various pictures, letters, and maps. Some of the images were crossed out in red ink or paint, signifying that whatever it was had been taken care of. Neil’s blond hair looked to be quite a mess and there were dark circles under his eyes. Apparently he hadn’t slept in a while. At the moment he was furiously typing away on a laptop that was seated upon his lap.

Neil looked up when he heard a large bang to his left where an archway leading to the entrance of the building was. Yumeko peeked her head out and smiled mischievously at Neil. She had skipped the last few steps on the staircase and had landed quite loudly on the ground at the end of it. She walked out into the room towards Neil. She was wearing a bright red t-shirt with a yin and yang symbol printed in the middle and loose short black pants.

“A-a-any new missions?” she asked him hopefully.

Neil glared and said irritably, “No, Yumeko. There are no new missions for you.” She had already asked the same question earlier that day.

Yumeko sighed and walked over to Neil to see what he was doing. “Things have been so boring lately,” she said in a whiny voice. “I know some of the others have been getting missions.”

Neil sighed, “That’s because they’re older than you and have more experience.” He then looked up with a curious expression and said, “Hey… shouldn’t you be working on your homework anyways? The weekend only lasts so long.”

Yumeko rolled her eyes. "Actually, I'm already done." she replied.

Suddenly though, the sound of the door to the entrance could be heard opening. It was a rather old door and typically made quite a bit of noise when it was opened. Yumeko turned around to see who had come in. She suspected it was one of the other Hunters returning from one of their missions since a few of them had been sent out recently to close a few small tears and take care of a few minor demons, or it could be a Seeker returning form their patrol. Whoever they were, Yumeko hoped they would have something interesting to tell.

**important information**
in the attachment there is a layout of the main floor of the Hunter's Headquarters. The above floors simply have apartments for the Hunters to stay in. You can decide what the other rooms upstairs look like.

 

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Iselia stretched out her arms over her head as she came into the dining room yawning quite loudly. It was a pretty busy day, despite that she hardly did much but follow the rest of the hunters on their mission in case they really needed her. Finishing her last mission with the rest of the hunters, she returned quickly back to headquarters hoping there was another one, this time, where she can actually have a part in. Just as she finished stretching, she stopped in front of the opening to the dining room and lowered her eyes slowly at the two persons she saw. "Ah," She said quietly as she finally started walking into the room and headed toward the kitchen after a moments' silence, "It's just you guys." Quickly rushing herself to the kitchen she opened the fridge, searching for something to snack on. She then noticed in the corner of her eye, a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Iselia smiled to herself, and said out loud for the others to to hear, "Are we that busy enough where we can't even wash dishes? Boy, oh boy, so many missions that I'm starting to think there's no time to worry about such things!" Iselia laughed as she reached into the fridge and grabbed a apple. She bit into it as she turned around to head into the room while she kicked the fridge door close. She jumped up on the table and positioned herself where she was facing Neil and Yumeko. Chewing away happily with her apple that was somewhat bruised and a bit mushy, she stared silently at Neil, waiting for him to give her another mission. Hopefully, something more exciting than the last one.
 
Inobi was very tired from a recent mission. You can see the exhaustion in his face and his stature. He had one helluva day, but it wasn't the demon hunting that exhausted him. It was the damn people in the entire district that were annoying the hell out of him with their questions about his work and their jabbering about their boring lives which Inobi could hear from a mile away. He couldn't stand people. The people around him could never understand the dangers that they are kept safe from because of people like Inobi, and the work and gall involved to do it. Ready to unwind and relax Inobi opens the door back to Headquarters and see's Neil, Iselia, and Yumeko taking it easy.

"Oh no....Yumeko you've got to stop waiting on us after our missions, kid. I know you're dying to help out, but trust me, there ain't nothin out there interesting for you darlin."

You could see the battles and countless years of experience in Inobi's eyes as he talked to Yumeko. His voice was stern, rough, signs of a seasoned veteran. The scar on his forehead he received from a demon so long ago was the symbol of many tales. How he destroyed a demon with his bare hands, how he came to be a hunter. He was certainly one of the old timers. He feared that his time left in such a business may be dwindling. How many more times can he transform before he loses his mind completely? How many more missions can he take before he gets severely wounded, or worse? Him and his demon, they've been through alot. And they get along surprisingly well. But there are times where the rush takes over, stuck in another realm wanting to stay and devour every soul you can find down there, to build your power and conquer the nether world. But he knew too many people, too many lives were counting on him over here, and being a Demon Hunter was who he was first and foremost, nothing was going to change that, it was his heart that kept him sane and alive.

Inobi tossed his sword on a nearby couch still not washed from previous battles showing rusted red stains and scratches from close encounters. He hung his jacket up on a nearby coat rack and casually walked over to Yumeko, who he was very fond of. Maybe it was her innocence, her spirit and passion with the hunters, but he felt a strong need to watch over her and keep her safe most of all. He sat down next to her and managed a faint smile.

"You know I love ya kid, but patience is a strong key in this line of work. It only stresses me out when I see you waiting like this all the time. I mean, what if one mission I don't come back from? It would tear me up inside to know you'll still be waiting at that door for one of us, when either one of us can lose our lives in a heart beat. Please, don't feel so eager to go out there and risk your life, because it's not easy work. You have your youth, you have a glowing spirit, and I wanna see that light shine for as long as I can. I worry about you, and yes, even Neil. I've been doing this too long my dear, I wanna see gems like you stick around."

Inobi gives Yumeko a friendly shoulder rub and smiles.

"You're gonna go far, kid. But in the mean time, let tough old guys like me do the dangerous stuff so you can live on and be a better hunter than I can ever hope to truly be. Now if you'll excuse me..."

Inobi stretches with a yawn and lays on his backside sprawled out in the middle of the floor.

"This old hound needs a nap!"

Inobi shuts his eyes, still listening around the room to any conversation until he drifts to sleep.
 
Esmeralda sat quietly in her personal room located at the upper quarters where the majority of the Hunters spent their nights, doing what-ever pleases them, well if it fits the rules of their exclusive society that is. Esme wore her usual night attire, a violet, silk kimono that covered her body well along with slippers.

Her light green eyes read line after line in the hard-covered book she read silently, it was something she rarely would do, because most of her time would be devoted to guarding Niel, who she had been assigned to for about two years now. The rather large book was near completion as Esme read quite fast.

But the continuous motion of her reading was halted when her stomach grumbled loudly, it was only when she was torn from the intricate storyline did she realize that she had skipped lunch. The dinner hall was usually occupied by relaxing hunters looking for something to talk about, something Esmeralda was never good at. But regardless she stood up and proceeded to head downstairs, she was starving.

Esme walked slowly down the staircase, careful to not trip on the large kimono she wore, after that Esme walked down the hall and into the dining hall. She bowed slightly at everyone in the room just to be polite, only bowing 90 degrees to Niel as he was her clear superior.

"Good Evening everyone. I'll just be a short while." Esme spoke out loud, before entering the kitchen without another word, only because she didn't have one. She shook her head at her awkwardness before opening the fridge, grabbing a microwaveable dinner and waiting for it to cook.
 
Yumeko and Neil looked as Iselia walked into the room. She quickly left them though to go to the kitchen to look for something to eat.

Neil chuckled when he heard Iselia mentioned the dishes. “Yes, I have been very busy,” replied Neil, the tone of his voice making it seem that he might be joking, though there was a sense of tiredness within his voice. He even let out a yawn after finishing speaking.

“Neiiil-san!” said Yumeko in an accusing tone, “How many hours has it been since you last slept? Or has it been a few days already?”

Neil simply shrugged and smiled and continued to type on his laptop.

Yumeko let out a sigh of frustration. Neil really needed to take better care of his health. When talking to Neil though, she hadn’t noticed that Inobi had entered the house, or at least not until he was already in the room. Neil waved but then continued to work while Yumeko smiled brightly when she saw Inobi. She hoped that he had something interesting to tell her or a mission that she could go along on. However, he had no such news for her.

"Oh no....Yumeko you've got to stop waiting on us after our missions, kid. I know you're dying to help out, but trust me, there ain't nothin out there interesting for you darlin."

Yumeko didn’t seem quite convinced. She cocked her head and peered up at Inobi, her eyebrows raised quizzically. She then continued to listen to his speech, smiling all the while, though still looking a little skeptical. She liked Inobi. He was interesting. He had seen a lot more battles than her and had a lot of experience. She had a lot of respect for him.


“I guess so,” she said while laughing softly as Inobi gently rubbed her on the shoulder. She listened again as he continued to speak. She hoped that what he said was right, and that she would indeed be able to be as great of a Hunter as him someday. “Ok, old wise sensei,” she said with a mischievous grin “You get your rest.” Inobi must have been exhausted to have simply chosen to sleep on the floor in the meeting room thought Yumeko to herself.

Soon after Inobi had lied down to rest another Hunter entered the room. It was Esmeralda, Neil’s personal guardian. Yumeko and Neil both nodded in greeting to her. Neil was mostly absorbed in his work though, barely just noticing that Esmeralda had entered the room. In fact, he had barely acknowledged at all that Inobi had returned earlier, though that was mostly because Inobi was talking to Yumeko so he hadn’t felt the need to start conversation. Inobi was evidently tired anyways.

Yumeko looked at the clock at the other end of the room. Other hunters would probably be coming down to have a bite to eat soon as well. She then noticed a grumbling sound coming from Neil’s stomach.

“Oh, geez Neil!” Yumeko said angrily, “Have you not eaten as well?” while looking down at him accusingly.

Neil looked up at her sheepishly while he clutched at his grumbling stomach. “Ummm… I might have…” he said, though he continued to work. He pulled out a weird device from a bag that was lying beside him and started to modify it.

Yumeko snatched the device from his hand and pointed to the kitchen with her other hand. “Eat. Now,” she said to him in a threatening voice. She then pried the laptop from his hands, which were quite weak really, then placed his laptop on the table, and then dragged him towards the kitchen, quite literally dragged him actually.

“Hey, Esme,” said Yumeko as she pocked Esmeralda on the shoulder. “You wanna get some food for this idiot too?” Neil ripped his hand out of Yumeko’s grasp and stared at her angrily, but then wrapped his arms around his stomach as another loud rumble erupted from it. He really did seem to be in dire need of some food. His body looked very weak. He leaned against one of the counters in the kitchen to support his weight.

“It’s ok Esme,” Neil said while trying to give a reassuring smile, “You don’t have to listen to Yumeko. I can get something myself.” However, the only thing that it looked like he was going to do was fall over from exhaustion.
 
Listening to the conversations about food has caused Inobi to be uneasy. Now he couldn't sleep because hunger has claimed him. His stomach began to howl at him and he sat up with a frown. He could never quite get any sleep after a mission, it was inevitable. Besides being hungry, whenever he tries to sleep there is another mission waiting for him right around the corner depriving him of it. He shakes his head in a sigh. He looks at Yumeko playfully.

"Hey tiger, I got a mission that you can be part of. Help us all find some food!"

Inobi wasn't sure if this was gonna gather any laughs in the room or not, but it was true though, in order to involve everyone in some sort of activity it had to be something as simple as errands or a food run, or simple company paperwork. Not every Demon Hunter could do the same mission, some were far more dangerous than others, and Inobi didn't quite want to believe such facts, but they were true. There was a system, and he knew it left to right. Sometimes he has to put business first, business always came first when it came to demon slaying. These are evil forces that are being dealt with, and personal connections, bonding, or time for fun was very limited and rarely occurring.

"But really guys, when was the last time we all did something together? I only ever feel like all we do is mope anymore. Business isn't quite at a peak, and the missions that do get posted are always taken by the same old timers, including myself. We all know those demons are planning something, and all of us are gonna be quite busy soon enough, but right now, let's find things to do together while we still can. How about it?"

Inobi looks around the room to see if anyone was up for a group activity. If anything, he knew all of them were starving, getting food was already a checked option in his mind. If they all didn't wanna come along and eat somewhere, he was gonna go get something himself regardless of the company. When you're using such power and energy hunting demons and saving the planet, it takes quite a toll and food is a blessing in disguise, especially when you have any time to eat it to begin with.
 
With all the excitement happening, Iselia felt like it was time to take her leave. She finished up her apple and right before Yumeko and Neil headed into the kitchen she leaped off the table and threw away her half eaten apple. Apparently, it wasn't a very delicious snack being that only half of it was fresh. She tried her best not to knock into Esme, smiling slyly at her as she entered the kitchen and threw out the apple in an almost filled trash can. Without giving her a second glance she ran out of the kitchen just in time as Neil and Yumeko went in there for search of food. Iselia had to agree with Yumeko, Neil was looking especially impoverished today. Though this was the first time she really noticed, Iselia was so used to always seeing him immersed into his work and never paid him any mind since she didn't want to bother him.

Iselia almost jumped when she heard Inobi speak, she thought the old man was fast asleep already. She looked over to him and saw that it wasn't only Neil today who was deprived of rest or food. Inobi seemed tired, almost as if he hadn't slept or eaten for days. Iselia furrowed her brows, wondering what type of mission was so difficult that made him look like he went off and fought a war? She could feel her jealousy surge, seekers and slayers were allowed on the most dangerous missions due to their strength capability but keepers like herself, were considered weak or sometimes useless in battles so they were only picked just as a precautionary in case something goes wrong. She understood Inobi's position though, he was highly regarded around the area and does the best at his job, so there's no doubt he would be the first pick in any type of important mission or even the majority of them. Despite that, Iselia had longed and wished for at least one exciting task she can finally be recognized as an important asset.

After listening to Inobi's request, Iselia smirked a bit. She reached up behind her head and fixed her high ponytail while in response to Inobi at the same time, "Sure. Been awhile since I've had a drink too, it might be fun."
 
All she could hear was the rushing of blood pounding in her ears like a violent drum. She could not feel the cool, damp side of the building against her back as she slid down, falling on her butt. Her legs were like jello now as the dark world around her spun. The street lights blurred, making streams of light across the sky. If Aruna couldn’t pull herself together, the man who had come to her rescue would be stuck fighting the demon all night.

The creature had fully manifested itself in a desperate man with a taste for young girls. Had the ganguro not targeted a man with a demon inside him, she would have forged the perfect plan in making some extra cash that evening, but she hadn’t; and now she was nearly passed out against the Soft Bank building. Women could be so stupid. The idea of selling one’s body for something as petty as money made the Slayer’s stomach twist.
The tormented, possessed man was suddenly reaching for Rayth’s throat, hands deformed into jagged, bloodthirsty talons. Using a dodge he managed to avoid the attack before expanding a burst of Siren’s Blood from the sweat-soaked palms of his hands. It would be a miracle if the man’s body would still be in healthy enough condition to survive without the demon keeping it going. The man howled, sending chills up Rayth’s spine, making all his hairs stand on end. Dark Matter shards filled the demon, sending it a few steps back. It was time to immobilize it as much as possible and get the young girl out of there, but before Rayth’s plan could be initiated a sharp, petrifying pain shot through his right ankle. He tried to move back, but couldn’t; something he could not see had razor teeth or claws etched into the meat and bone of his leg.


The man cried out, almost seconds after the demonic had and all she could do was sit there, limp, drowning in the faint exhaustion she remembered suffering as a child. In the darkness of the building, sharp pains began to spread through her body, everywhere, leaving trails of beading blood. She gasped in agony. Something was on her, tormenting her, tearing her to pieces. She couldn’t see it—for that matter, she couldn’t see that the man was a demon either. She learned that fact when he attacked her. Sure, she had been looking for trouble, taunting demonic eyes, but Aruna lacked the skills to see the Hellish creatures and had grown used to being attacked before making her move. It wasn’t the best tactic, but what else could she do?

“Get off!” Rayth growled, swinging his arms cursing ferociously. The possessed man was on him now, talons extending for his gut. The Slayer had no choice. He raised both hands, summoning one of the stakes on his bracelet to life: Amarath’s Curse. The hammer moved on its own, finding the flat of the iron stake and pounded into the hollow chest before it. Howling, furious talons tearing at the possessed man’s body, the demon stepped backwards, prying the stake from its swollen chest. A stunning light flashed behind the demon as it stepped—falling then, into the burst of illumination. The energy swallowed it up, man and demon.
Rayth looked back towards the Soft Bank to see the girl standing, left hand reached outwards. The taste of energy pulsed from her. Her other arm was tucked under her breasts, blood trickling from a series of slices in her skin. ‘There’s more than one…’ he thought before speaking, “Let’s get out of the here!” It was butchered Japanese, but it worked.


Aruna moved to the call, fighting through the blade like teeth snapping at her. Every inch of her being stung, but she couldn’t sit there and rot. She moved forward but the world spun again. Her stomach flipped as she realized the mysterious man flung her over his shoulder just as his broke into a sprint, escaping the invisible demons.
“Where are you taking me?!” The girl screamed, “Put me down!”


“Just shut up for now,” He growled back in spite of his poor Japanese language skills. Five years ago he had moved to Japan with a small group of Demon Hunters and the country had become his home. The land, the architecture, the people, it was all beautiful. Rayth was full-blooded American but never got to enjoy his homeland much as he had been enslaved in a small, dark room for most of his life. In Japan he has been introduced to Demon Hunters HQ, but hadn’t really become thoroughly involved. This girl, however, had no clue as to what she was doing and clearly was more a danger to humans than demons. Bringing her to HQ was the best idea and she could figure things out from there and acquire some much guidance.

Aruna watched buildings fly by as the man ran up a slope, the night air whipping past her. Just where was he taking her? He had saved her and was involved in destroying demons, but she didn’t know him or what he was capable of. Maybe he harvested other reasons for rescuing her? He came to sudden stop and she managed to gain grip on his back with her hands, lifting her upper body up and tried to look over both their shoulders. She flushed slightly, ‘Strong back…’

As Rayth knocked on the doors to HQ, he also stepped inside with a shout, “Hello? Anyone here?”
 
Kyy was in his room, snoring away. He woke up to his alarm. "Already?" He stood up and went to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror before brushing his long black hair. He threw his ovjercoat on and put the hood up. "I wonder if there are any missions?" He went downstairs, skipping every other step. He went up to the meeting hall and walked up to Neil. "Any missions boss man?" He looked at Yumeko and smiled.
 
As Tenya was coming down the stairs she heard Rayth in the front hall. She smiled a little and skipped the last few steps. In the last year or so that she had been here Tenya had quickly taken a liking to the American. Landing on the balls of her feet Tenya walked down the hall to the front entrance. "Hey America, back alrea-" Alexandria stopped quickly when she saw Rayth supporting a bleeding girl, blood dripping from wounds of his own. "Oh gosh Rayth!" Tenya hurried forward and helped him support the girl and helped them into the conference room.

As Tenya got them into the conference room she released the girl to Rayth. "Hold on, I'll get the first aid kit." Tenya hurried to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. She opened it and checked that everything was present before closing it and making her way back. Tenya laid the first aid kit on the table and opened it, pulling some gauze pads and tape out for the larger wounds and bandages for the small but deep ones. She turned to the other girl and stepped close. "Do you mind if I take care of those wounds? I know that demon wounds fester very easily."
 
‘America.’ The nickname had earned Tenya smile. The Japanese had a way of being playful with their nicknames and at first Rayth thought they didn’t know his name, but once he caught on, he it was something he found refreshing; and it was much better than ‘gaijin’.
“Hey, Tenya-kun,” He nodded in recognition, smirking through a wince. ‘Kun’ was predominantly for boys, but in recent times, it had grown to become a cute suffix for girls. Accepting the help in getting the poorly trained Keeper to the meeting hall, he found himself nodding to the others with a quick glance, “Evening, folks.”


She was surprised at the kindness and enthusiastic help this girl offered and when she returned with the first aid kit, Aruna could barely nod her head. The girl seemed concerned but not fazed or frightened of the blood and actually acknowledged the slices to be the product of a demon. Just where had this foreigner taken her?
Aruna pulled away from Rayth’s grip, but stumbled back against the wall. Her face lit up like a beet as her eyes fluttered around the room.
“That would be nice.” She finally responded and thought, ‘I really need a cigarette ‘bout now…’


“I found this piece of work down by the Soft Bank,” Rayth didn’t look over his shoulder to Aruna, but rather nodded his head backwards, “She got herself in pretty deep with a demon. She’s a Keeper.” The dark-haired man began messing with the wound on his ankle after taking a seat at the table. He paused, pondering his last comment. “I meant that not... in a creepy way.”
 
Iselia sighed as she saw Rayth and Tenya come into the conference room with a wounded girl. "Looks like we have another lone wolf come into our happy family." She crossed her arms and smiled a bit, "Nice to give us a warning this time Rayth." She felt a bit wary of this new girl, the HQ was crowded enough as it is. Though, in the end, it didn't really matter much, especially if she was a keeper like her. Iselia was hoping that maybe this new girl would understand what she has felt throughout all these years since she came across the demon back at the orphanage. Maybe she finally found someone she can relate to with her fascination about demons. On the other hand, those were her own personal expectations that most of the time, can never be lived up to unfortunately. Wanting to examine her a bit closer, Iselia walked over to where Rayth and Tenya were helping the girl dress her wounds. Her long cotton white blouse swayed as her silver hair bounced up and down when she stopped in front of them, and putting her hands on her hips. She leaned forward to the girl and stared quietly at her with a slight eerie smile creeping on her face. After a moment's silence, Iselia finally said, "My name is Iselia Briarr. I'm a keeper like yourself. May I be the first to welcome you to HQ, home of our little demon hunting party here." She stood straight back up, dropping her arms from her hips and her smile gone from her face. She turned toward Rayth and furrowed her brows, "Ran into some trouble there too? To think, someone like yourself shouldn't have gotten hurt that easily."
 
The sudden commotion made Inobi wide awake. As soon as he heard this newcomer was a Keeper he jumped to attention. He quickly made his way to her wound and scanned it with his eyes. In all his years of demon slaying, this wound was quite the cut. Could it be? Inobi shook off his curiosity and looked this young lady in the eye. One of his abilities and talents was heightened sense, which he could use in small implements in the human world. It was the control of the demon in him that allowed the channeling of such an ability. His heart suddenly grew heavy, it was as if he could almost feel what happened to her, and how it happened. And as he looked deeper into her eyes, his heart almost stopped and he quickly pulled away in a sweat. Hiding...something? No..... he had a look of terror flash upon his once stern and square face. His seasoned mug now turned into a horror flick. Whatever that thing was that attacked her, he knows he has felt that before. That specific demon was a demon he tangled with many moons ago. Their getting stronger....at this point everyone in the room had to be looking at him like he was a demented psychopath, but this was no joke. This was a very serious matter that Inobi had to take action on, his interest was heightened in the company for the first time in a while. This meant something.

"Well ladies and gents....we got a problem. This demon that attacked her....I know this category of demon. It's a high class possessor....now now...don't everyone jump up at once. Why does it matter? Because I took on every possessor mission out there, and then one day they stopped coming up. I assumed I had helped wipe them all out, but there was one very powerful one that I barely escaped from. This one could forge other demons by removing chunks of itself, as if cloning itself. I guarantee this particular demon is at it again, and I also promise, that if we can find another possessor, we will find other high class demons hiding their pretty little heads in the shadows, and then, we can find them while their plotting, and wipe them out. But we need to go as a team."

Inobi could feel the tension and the looks in the room. He was pulling the whole...leader thing...again. He did hate when he did that, but he couldn't help it, this was in his nature. And he was almost positive he was correct on the demon type that attacked this young girl. It had to be that same possessor demon he almost died from so long ago. He couldn't take on any more dangerous missions like that by himself, it was about time the HQ took massive action and went on the offensive as a collective unit, but it would have to be a group decision.

"Look, I know once again, our lovely food consumption time was interrupted, but this could be big everyone. And the longer we wait around, the more troublesome and menacing these demons can become. This wound is a sign for us to start taking action and planning for a war. If you ever read up on the great wars of the past, they would always send warnings, messages of a sort, either chopped heads, a nasty letter, or even a wounded soldier to warn the opposing force to back down or suffer. The messengers of death do not come in singles people. There will be more of us wounded like her if we do not think fast. You can call me old, or crazy, or battle worn, but what other ideas are there, really?"

At this point Inobi was waiting for a response. That's all he can do. He can try and rally the troops all he wishes, but he knew they were a diverse group of individuals, some took this job differently than others. He had to base his idea on faith and trust now. He hopes his span of time with the Hunters has at least raised some eye brows and considerations in the room. He can only hope. At least this was a way to get the brains flowing and the creative juices going. He set something off in each and every one of their minds, and this was brilliant on his side of things. This would be the first time in a long time he might actually see some collective communication and logistics going on that wasn't about no food or who walks in the door next.
 
Between the girl, Iselia, and the man who ardently investigated her wounds, she felt like some kind of circus animal. It appeared this group had lingo for this kind of business and an in-depth understanding, and that made them seem all the more crazy. Keepers? Hunters? Her grandfather, her only key to this forbidden side of society, had never received the chance to inform Aruna of this aspect of what her powers were connected to. Now she was blown away and despite her years of manipulating gates, was skeptical. Maybe it was a way in protecting herself, shielding her conscious to the firm, grim reality of what was happening behind the scenes… and the reason for her grandfather’s death.
The urge to pass out had finally lifted and she felt better, just concerned how for her new state of mind.
“Can I have a cigarette?”


He had only talked with Iselia a handful of times, but that was enough to know the girl was the tough, independent type. Some people just had higher standards, Iselia was one of them. Retorting back at her with a half-smile and sarcastic tone would be the only to respond, of course, “And to think, I’m actually getting some action out there.” Wait, that didn’t sound right. He was going to have hit the books again if he was going make his language skills comprehensible. Before the he could correct himself, the self-appointed leader had begun making assessments. It was about time something explained the demon that had imps, or something small and wicked, working for it. Inobi was smart, and if he was the official leader, he could take them far. However, regardless of his expertise, Rayth had a hard time making things easy on anyone.
“Can I call you old and crazy?” His arms were crossed, grin wide. Beyond his tease he was digesting what Inobi had said. Seemed like things were heating up.
 
A laugh almost escaped from Iselia when Rayth replied to her, and when he instantly put his mind to the gutter, his reaction was even more priceless. She was almost scared again half to death, when the old veteran literally appeared right next to her examining the poor girl who looked like she was going to die from all the attention. When Inobi spoke, Iselia couldn't help but listen intently to his words. It was surprising to see him in such disarray, Iselia couldn't help but think, was this really something serious this time? Then again, Inobi would only take on the role of the leader when it was critical that things needed to be done. She gleamed and eagerly acknowledged Inobi's observation with a simple reply, "Forget about food, this will definitely fill up my hunger in a heartbeat!" She literally leaped and ran out into the kitchen, excusing herself and she gleefully hummed a tune. She reached into one of the cupboards and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Iselia hadn't smoked in years, the taste of it had grown to disgust her now but she always had a pack leftover, just in case. She glanced at it for a second before twirling around and heading back into the conference room. She threw it to the girl who had asked for them, still smiling in sheer excitement. Then she turned her attention to the others, happily announcing, "Well, what are you standing around for? Let's get working and figure out what we should do!"
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> Yumeko liked Inobi's suggestion for everyone to go out and get some food. She jumped out of the kitchen excitedly, ignoring Esmeralda and Neil.

"Yes! Let's do that!" she exclaimed while clapping her hands, not seeming able to contain her energy.

Neil followed her out of the kitchen. He leaned against the archway into the kitchen and let out a sigh, though he was still smiling. It was often hard to handle her with all her energy, but she did look rather silly as well, making him give a soft laugh. However, the mood quickly changed when Rayth entered the room with a wounded girl.

Yumeko stopped jumping around and instead stared with a surprised expression. Who was this, she wondered, and what happened to them? She walked over to the girl Rayth had brought in, curiosity gleaming in her hazel and blue eyes. It was obvious that it was a demon attack or else she most likely wouldn't have been brought to their headquarters, and also judging by what the others said it seemed she was a Keeper. Good, she thought to herself. They needed more Keepers. Who else would close the tears and stop the demons from appearing.

Neil looked at the girl Rayth had brought in with a worried expression. It looked like it was time. He walked over and pushed Yumeko out of the way so he could get a better look at the girl's wounds. They were indeed quite deep. He turned his head towards Inobi and nodded when he mentioned that it was the work of a high class demon. He had seen these types of wounds before as well. Things were looking grim. He listened silently as Inobi gave his speech.

Yumeko looked up when Inobi started talking. However, she did not seem to be as worried about the news as she probably should have been. If anything, she looked even more excited. Now she would definitely be able to go on a mission she thought. She turned her head though and noticed Neil shaking his head while looking at her. He clearly knew what she was thinking, and didn't approve.

Neil decided to speak once Inobi was done with his speech. "You're right, Inobi," he said in a very serious tone "This is not the work of a weak demon. I believe it is as we predicted. The demons were planning something, and now they are starting to put their plans into motion." He then saw how all of the other Hunters were starting to get excited at the prospect of a new mission. "However," he said in an authoritative voice as he looked at each of the Hunters in the room "We cannot rush into this. The demons even may be hoping that that is exactly what we do." He then walked over towards the center of the room so to project his voice better, adjusted his glasses slightly, and took a deep breath before briefing the Hunters on what to do. It was his job after all, as a leader of the Hunters.

"This is a serious matter here. But, before we can go track down the demons we need to gather our strength. Eat a healthy sized meal tonight, and afterwards we will have a meeting. Once the meeting is done prepare your gear and then get a good night's. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. You'll have to be ready early. Everyone is going to be divided into groups to track down the demons, which we will decided during the meeting."

"Any questions?" Neil added.

A huge grin started to spread across Yumeko's face. Finally, she would be getting a real mission. Her hand shot up to ask a question.

"Can I go with Inobi?!" she asked excitedly.

Neil sighed, for it seemed Yumeko hadn't been paying that much attention. "Yumeko, that is partially up to Inobi, and also, we will be deciding on who will be going into each group during the meeting. Now, are there anymore questions?"

[DASH=green]*Go to the signup/plot thread where we will decide on who will go into each group and what some of the plans for the missions will be*[/DASH]
 
Kyy saw what was going on and watched, not sure what to say. "Reminds me of back then..." He sighed before sitting down.
 
Tenya grinned at Rayth and patted his back, careful to avoid hitting any wounds. "Careful what you say there America. You might come off as some perv." She giggled as she continued to help stem young Aruna's bleeding. As everyone had begun to gather around the young girl, ogling at her wounds she had pushed everyone back. "Chillax everyone, give the girl some space for Zeus' sake yeesh, and Iselia," Tenya paused for a long moment. "Ya, that's just creepy."

As Inobi was woken from his nap and began to look worried Tenya knew that things had just gotten serious. He began to talk of a very powerful demon in the area and she inwardly groaned. More getting beat up. She may have relished in the fight, but the bruises left afterwards were always a pain and they screwed up her complexion. Although Tenya knew that such thoughts were self centered she didn't care. She was a slayer, not a nun.

Once again Rayth had stuck his foot in his mouth once again and it had come out completely perverted. She sighed as she knew that he was absolutely hopeless at this. When he asked if he could call Inobi crazy yet Tenya snorted. "If anyone is crazy here Rayth, that would be you and your vocabulary, or lack thereof. She smiled as she knew that Rayth would know she was joking.

Quickly Neil took action as well and Tenya decided to get serious. He began to speak of squads and Tenya contemplated the perfect squad. She smiled slightly when Yumeko completely ignored the whole speech and only asked to go with Inobi. Tenya herself sat back on the table and smirked. "I'm in. Let's kick some major demon ass. I better stick with America here though, so that he doesn't lose his feet in that mouth of his. Besides that, your Japanese sucks buddy."
 
Kyy stands up. "I'll go out to pick up food so everyone can do what they need to to get ready for tommarrow." He goes out of the meeting hall.
 
Seeing Neil, who had been the first Hunter Rayth met when first came to Japan, enter the room, Rayth had been taken aback for a moment as it appeared the leader was still around. By the way Inobi was talking, he thought perhaps something may have happened to Neil. Rayth couldn’t help but muse himself with idea of conflict between Neil and Inobi, the two leader types. And both were male, bonus. They seemed to still be working well together, but when push came to shove, how would things play out? Usually he didn’t stick around for team missions, but this time he’d have to just to satisfy his curiosity. With the plans agreed to be in motion, Rayth was finally able to defend himself, and he did so by turning to the two smart-mouths known as Tenya and Iselia. His smirk was unsymmetrical, arms crossed, but before he could give his snarky retort Tenya announced she’d be the American’s partner. His staying involved was further settled.

The pack of cigarettes was like a godsend and the ganguro all but jumped for them. She bowed her head in a low nod in Iselia’s direction in means of gratitude. She slipped a cig out as her other hand found the lighter in her pocket. It was adorned with cute, pop-culture characters with dot eyes and large smiles. The flame sparked, but before she pressed it to her vice, Aruna looked up at the girl tending to her wounds. With a snap the flame died and she stuffed the lighter back in her pocket, acknowledging how rude it would be to puff up in right in the girl’s face.
‘Tenya,’
she thought, trying to keep track of all the names flouting through the air.
When Tenya was finished, Aruna bowed her head again, whispering a thank you. She had run into people who were too nice and too crazy, and coming to terms with such a group could prove dangerous. Everyone had needs, everything had a catch. For all she knew, she’d make perfect bait for them to do their job.
“I love the idea,” the one who rescued her, Rayth, said in agreement to the plan for attack. Deciding whether to help or not was hard, but the people really did seem good and devoted to preventing demons from harming mankind.
“I can help, too.”


“I’ll go with ya, Kyy.” Rayth said just as the wounded girl jumped into the conversation. He gave her a passing shrug, “Only if you think you can handle it.” And with that he was headed towards the door. ‘Kyy,’ he pondered, ‘That is his name, right?’