Kuro Mirai

[Mini]

Devoe had seen the trick dozens of times before, and yet he still fell for it. He could have shot himself in the foot with his own arrow! Except he wouldn't, because that would just be stupid. It didn't change the fact that he still felt like a fool for having watched the fox demon vanish into the snow and reappear right at the base of the tree. Scowling down to the ground below him where Issen stood, it almost appeared that Devoe was sulking. Devoe didn't have the greatest of views from his perch, but he could see enough to tell that the demon was no longer bothering to hide his ears and tail.

"Tch. Yo yourself. Hold on a sec," Devoe grumbled, raising a hand up over his eyes as he peered back out in the direction to where Satoshi was standing ready to knock someone into next Thursday. Blind or not, it was obvious that the man knew how to fight. It was almost funny to watch the poor man stand there, waiting for an attack that wasn't going to come. After a few moments, the blind merchant seemed to realize that nobody was immediately around and waiting to jump him, and the man started hobbling through the snow in the direction of the large tree.

"Oh yeah? Well... uh... It isn't nice to pretend to be a poor, helpless, blind beggar guy, either," Devoe retorted after a bit of hesitation. He had been trying to think of something wittier, but nothing had come to mind. Shrugging, he slipped his bow over his shoulder and edged himself forward. Taking a moment to clamp a hand down on his hat, he jumped down from his perch. He hit the ground with a grunt, but he held his crouched position for a few seconds before he slowly stood up, grinning at Issen and Satoshi as if they were old friends.

"Woo! I was up a bit higher than I thought. Maybe I should have just climbed down. Ah well, no harm down, at least I don't think so. Hey Foxy, you gonna take your hand off your sword any time soon?" he asked, glancing down at Issen's hand, which was resting on his sword hilt. Devoe inhaled deeply before leaning back casually against the tree trunk. "I do apologize for shooting at you both, though there was never a chance I was going to hit you. Not that I'm that bad of a shot. Quite the contrary," he said with a broad grin. "Mmm... I have to say, I was hoping that big guy was gonna show up, but beggars can't be picky. Or is it beggars can't be choosers? I can never quite remember how that saying goes."

While he was talking, Devoe's eyes flickered out into the woods behind where Satoshi was standing. He had just caught sight of a very brief silver glimmer of something from back into the woods. He had only seen it for a second, but he was certain he knew what it was - moonlight reflecting off of something shiny and metallic. Shiny and metallic things tended to be weapons. The archer's grin turned into a dark frown, and his casual and laid back manner evaporated right along with his grin.

"I would say more, but we're being watched," he whispered, slowly sliding his bow off of his shoulder as he prepared to nock another arrow.

[Remus]

Merissa was too concentrated on the blind man to notice Devoe from his perch in the tree. It wasn't until she heard the twang of a bowstring, and the beggar in front of her suddenly jump and whirl around in a defensive position. Merissa quickly dodged behind a nearby tree, her heart pounding quickly.

How did he do that? she thought, her mind racing. Can he really see after all? No that was not possible. The man may not have given many the opportunity to look directly at his face in the bar, but when he had first came in she saw that he was without a doubt blind. A psychic eye maybe? Is he a demon? Or maybe his affliction has just sharpened his other senses like the demon blood has done to mine.

The two men were talking, bringing her out of her thoughts. There seemed to be a third person there though she did not sense anyone in the woods before. Risking exposure she quickly slipped out from behind the tree and made her way as close to the meeting as possible while trying to stay half concealed in the underbrush. She could see the third man clearly now against the base of the tree. Correction, he was a demon, that much was obvious by the ears and the tail, and the fact he appeared from practically nowhere. Most likely a fox. Fox demons we're known for tricks but also for being insanely powerful. She again regretted not letting her brother know she was here, but if it turned out that any of these three were responsible for the murders it would be best to find out what their plans were.

and if they are, they will find there are more than daggers up my sleeve. She thought with a feral grin. She took another step forward almost stumbling, she raised her arms to quickly steady herself before she made any real noise.

"Mmm... I have to say, I was hoping that big guy was gonna show up, but beggars can't be picky. Or is it beggars can't be choosers? I can never quite remember how that saying goes." she heard Devoe say to the other too. Suddenly he had knocked an arrow and turned his head in her direction before whispering to the others

Damn!

[Gen]

Gen really hated talking to loud, excitable types. Especially young, gung-ho kids.

The man simply shrugged and sighed. He'd had enough of this conversation. Though he felt guilty, none of this was any of his concern. He'd overstayed his welcome in this town anyway, and it was coming close to a time when he would have to move on. Why would he help them? Getting involved in these matters seemed too troublesome for him, and even if he did manage to assist these people in bringing this string of killings to an end, what if he was revealed? The villagers may not take very kindly to his blood, or worse, these vigilantes might turn on him.

It was just too much to risk.

He'd become so much more comfortable when Devoe had left the room, not bothering to further analyze his surroundings. He was about to leave himself when the fox looked his way. Gen felt as though he could be trapped in this man's gaze, a chill running down his spine as he basically confirmed for the man that he was a demon as well. His eyes narrowed and he looked away as Issen did. He would wait a moment longer as the crowd thinned out before finally standing up from his stool and leaving out into the snow.
Afraid these troublemakers may have made his camping spot, Gen returned only long enough to retrieve his belongings from the tree he'd hidden them under. He soon retreated into the forest in search of a new spot to sleep. He simply could not bring himself to get involved.

Night had fallen fast and Gen had finally found his new, cozy spot. There was no way anyone could find him here. The trees were more numerous here and the foliage thicker. It was perfect. It didn't take the man very long to clear the little patch of snow and hunker down. Immediately his body would relax and he would find himself in a trans-like state, finally able to rest in peace. His presence would vanish in the night, obscured from the senses of others that might pass by, only able to notice him by managing to spot him.

Sleep now was creeping in on him. He could feel the world drop away from him. Even the cold no longer bothered him. Then he heard it. It was faint, probably muffled by the trees, but Gen knew well the sound of a bowstring. Perhaps someone was hunting nearby. His heart beat a little more quickly and his brow furrowed, though his eyes remained closed. What if it was the killer? As he slowly came too again, he could hear movements. He would remain calm and silent, never moving, but he listened.

Soon there were voices, drawing ever nearer. His ears twitched under his bandana. Something else. The voices were louder, but there was something else that was beginning to irritate him. He could feel the temperature in the immediate space he occupied raise slightly. His heartbeat quickened again and his trans was over. Gen slowly opened his eyes, his field of vision slowly panning to his left, careful not to move suddenly or make any noise.

His heart dropped and his eyes snapped open as he saw her. A woman so close to him. Literally if she'd slipped just a little to her left she would stumbled over him. His heart dropped and out of pure, uncontrollable instinct Gen shouted in his surprise, his arms extending outward as if to defend from her and falling over onto his side. He didn't mean to, of course. The shout carried with it such a gale force that it would knock the girl over, and if she hadn't noticed him, obviously take her by surprise. It terrified him that someone could get so close to him without him even noticing.
The man wouldn't give himself or her any time to catch their breath. As the air around them was displaced by his shout, snow falling from the trees and the gust carrying icy wind as far as the group, Gen scrambled to his feet to tackle her while she was still face down. His large hands would take hold of her arm and the collar of her shirt, immediately pulling her up from the ground.

"Who the hell are you?!" Gen snarled, shoving her to the ground over the bush she had been hiding behind and releasing her into the clearing. "What the hell i-- is--"
The man's eyes trailed up from her to the three further out. His brow crinkled up in displeasure and his jaw clenched.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gen growled. His eyes widened and his face practically turned red when he saw Devoe. "You again! How the hell did you find me?"

The man huffed and puffed, finding himself suddenly so worked up by the whole ordeal. How had she crept up on him like that? How did these three come to be so close to him? Could it just be coinsidence? Another chill ran down his spine as he realized he'd left his sword hidden, and now that he'd stepped into the clearing, too far to reach quickly if any of these people decided to attack. What was worse was that he'd just revealed a vital secret to that girl, and if any of the other three were clever, possibly them as well.

"I told you, I don't want anything to do with this." Gen growled to Devoe. He looked to the other three. "You should stay out of it as well. He's going to get himself killed. Do you people just go around looking for trouble?"

(OoC: Sorry this took so long, guys. Had school stuff to do today and then of course the last couple weeks have been a little difficult. No internet and all that. I hope my post isn't too presumptuous at the end. I was just trying to re-introduce him in what I felt to be a fitting manner. If there is a problem I will gladly edit it.)

[Cernan]

Issen scowled a bit at being told to wait a second by Devoe, but he did pause. He watched the man scout out Satoshi, and as he jumped to the ground. His scowl quickly turned to small laugh which this time he could not contain. He took his hand off his sword at Devoes request, and sized up his soon to be allies in, well he didn't know what. He was about to introduce himself and lay into Devoe about how shooting people wasn't nice, when he saw Devoes eyes suddenly flick and pick something up in the bush. His ears swiftly swiveled to face the direction of Devoes gaze, and then so did he. His hand went back his sword, as he gazed out where Devoe was pointing his arrow. He was rather disconcerted at the idea that someone could be out there that he wouldn't have noticed. He should have been able to hear them, or smell them, he wondered if maybe it was because he had his ears hidden. Not taking his eyes or ears off of the spot Issen leaned in towards Devoe to whisper to him.

"Who and where did you see them?" Issen said lowly, though the words barely escaped his mouth before a powerful wind and loud shout blasted from the treeline.

From out of the bushed tumbled Gen and Merissa, prompting Issen to draw his sword, and making all his fur on his ears and tail bristle. He was so shocked, That it took him a couple of moments before he recognized the other demon he had seen earlier at the bar, holding a girl he did not recognize. He had missed two people that he should have noticed.

[Nayr]

Satoshi noted what was going on with detached interest. He only even really paid complete attention to one sentence, addressed directly to him.

"Oh yeah?" Devoe said, clearly floundering, "Well... uh... It isn't nice to pretend to be a poor, helpless, blind beggar guy, either."

He had a clear and truthful reply to that, but the conversational opening into which it would fit was interrupted both by Devoe's continued nonsense and by a very loud and chaotic episode accompanied by a concussion. He once again took a guarded stance and listened closely to what was going on around him. Sounded like there was a new player at the table, because everyone else's sounds fit with what little he remembered from the sounds at the pub. No word yet on whether or not the newcomer was hostile, but from the sounds of things the matter was well in hand. Satoshi relaxed. No violence would ensue yet.

"Were you hoping for anyone else?" He asked somewhat mockingly, "I'd rather get all these little surprises out of the way at the start."

[Mini]

Devoe was just about to raise his bow up and fire a warning shot into the trees a few feet away from where he had spotted the brief glimmer of metal when he felt more than saw the fox demon move besides him. Good. He hadn't been the only one who sensed something was amiss. All ready Devoe was calculating how long it would take him to fire the first arrow and reach into his quiver to pull out another. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use those arrows, but if the situation called for it, he could likely fire off two or three in under ten seconds. Two would be all he needed, of course. One, really, but two always sealed the deal. Better to tread on the side of safety than let cockiness lead to messy mistakes. The archer's brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he scanned over the snow covered terrain, his eyes taking in every single rock, bramble, bush, long blade of grass poking up out of the snow, twig, tree trunk, and gnarled tree root in sight, bouncing back and forth as he tried to catch the slightest trace of movement, waited to hear the faintest of sounds. "Don't know the who, but as for the where..."

The group by the trees didn't have to wait long. Before Devoe could finish his sentence, there was a loud yelp and a holler from two distinct voices. In a crash of movement, the large and burly other man from the tavern came crashing out of the bushes. His arms were wrapped around a skinny young thing with longish dark hair. That's really the only glimpse of her Devoe got, because Gen had bear-tackled her into the ground and was busy shouting at her, demanding to know who she was. The man's attention flitted elsewhere as fast as a dog who had seen a squirrel, for a moment later he had raised his head and was shouting at Devoe. Something about this hot-headed buffoon really set Devoe on edge, and all it took was the man to start shouting to get the archer's temper flaring.

"Whoa whoa whoa, excuse me?! What do you mean, how did I find you?! I'm not the one who just came flying out of the bushes! I was here FIRST! And are you STUPID or something?! I said to meet down here by the river, baka! If you didn't want anything to do with it then what the hell are you doing here?! It's not MY fault that you decided to lurk around and hide in the bushes like some sort of freak. And just the heck is that girl you're half strangling there, anyway?" Devoe asked, his teeth clenched together, perking an eyebrow at the pair of them. He hadn't lowered his bow, either, but didn't have his arrow drawn back tight as if ready to fire it off. That didn't mean he couldn't land one in either the man or the woman before they took a step towards him, but he would rather keep the extent of his abilities a secret for now.

A comment from the blind man distracted him and also helped to subdue his temper... slightly. Rolling his eyes, Devoe glanced sideways at Satoshi. The blind man had relaxed his stance, apparently keen on letting the others handle this squabble. "Tch. For your information, this is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. Not that that changes anything. The loud one is the other guy from the bar I had so casually invited out here, though from the sounds of it, doesn't seem like he's too gung-ho about joining forces. He seems to think I'm a little crazy, but I'm not the one rolling around in the snow trying to rip the arms off some pretty young thing. That's no way to impress the ladies." The thought had crossed his mind that this woman could very well be the one going around murdering people. She didn't look like much, but looks were often very deceiving. In Devoe's opinion, she wasn't putting up much of a fight at all. It was almost as if she was trying to pretend to play the part of the poor, defenseless, meek little village girl. Trying a bit too hard, maybe.

Devoe shifted his attention to the girl laying pinned beneath Gen, careful to keep his suspicions out of his voice. He tried to sound a touch friendly and inviting. "Speaking of, just who are there, missy? It's a little late to be out for a stroll, especially for a woman who appears to be all alone. Now, I can't speak for anyone else here, but surely a sweet young thing like you wouldn't actually be spying on us, would you?"

[Remus]

If Merissa had noticed the big man that had concealed himself amongst the trees so close to her she might have be able to do something to defend herself. Instead she was shocked by both the volume and force of his shout. It knocked her over, the knife tumbling from the sleeve of her shirt and clattering to the ground. Before she was even able to right herself, or even grab for her weapon the demon had grabbed her again and forcibly pulled her upwards.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled at her shoving her back on the ground into the clearing in front of everyone. For a moment before she hit the ground Merissa could feel the power, the fire that dwelt inside of her boiling up into an inferno. If she had released it, at that moment, the whole clearing would have gone up in flames exposing what she was to everyone there. She lay there for a second forcing back the urge before getting back on her feet cursing herself for being caught off guard. Nothing human could have a shout that powerful. This man, like her had to be a demon, though unlike her he must be a full-blooded one.

"and just who are you missy?" the yellow hat man asked her as she made her back on her feet dusting the dirt off from her pants.

"My name is Merissa." She said almost casually rubbing her throat from where the man had grabbed her. "I came to this village a few days ago on my way to the village where I was born in. When I heard about the murders I became intrigued. If not to help people, catching a killer would at least give me enough money so that I could be on my way again."

"I saw you in the bar earlier today. You were the only one who wanted to do something about these murders. More so you were trying to gather other people to help you. She nodded towards Issen and Satoshi. Whereas you could think of me as a spy, I could say the same for you. Instead of one killer, a small group masquerading as vigilantes." Her eyes traveled between the four of them, settling at last on Gen.

"It's obvious everyone here is keeping something from everyone else. Some perhaps more than others, but he's right what ever this is powerful, your going to need all the help you can get."

Merissa did not want to say it in front of them, but she more suspected Gen out of all the group. It had nothing to do with him attacking her, more so the fact that he was so insistent not only on not wanting to stop the killer, but trying to get others to stop as well.

She reached slowly reached down and picked her knife off the ground, tucking it back in the sleeve of her shirt. "By the way I resent the "Sweet little thing" comment. If you really think you can catch a killer like this you cant just go off the way a person looks."

(ooc: Ugh. Sorry this took all day to write. I'm most likely going to edit the part when Gen attacked Merissa to make her more shaken up by it, but worst case scenario I put it down to the secret she's keeping. She's more a fighter than you would think. )

[Gen]

Already irritated by the human's incredibly obnoxious outburst, Gen could feel his demonic blood beginning to boil. Nothing irritated him more than loud, arrogant brats. His face became flushed, hot and pink with frustration and his ears twitched. His eyes wide, he glared up to Devoe, huffing again in near rage. Steam could practically be seen raising from his nose and ears.

"Freak?! You were here first??" Gen growled. "Who's hiding, little man? I was trying to mind my own affairs and finally have some peace and quiet to myself. That river goes on for miles, and I'll have you know there are two sides. First you announce to the entire village that you're having a meeting to talk about hunting your killer, and then you not only set up this meeting in the most ridiculous of sites, but out in the open no less when you don't even know who the killer is or where or when he'll strike next-- He could be watching you right now! But I'm the idiot??"

Gen in his anger had begun to advance some, stepping away from the young girl with very heavy foot falls. His fists balled up tight and he felt as though he just might be ready to pop. He stood tall, his broad shoulders and height suddenly seeming so much more grand than when he'd walked amongst the humans in the village. It was usually a sign that he was getting serious. He didn't much care that Devoe still had him in his sights. He knew that if he had to, he could deflect at least the one arrow.

When the other man spoke he stopped. It seemed to distract the both of them enough that no truly regrettable actions were actually taken here. The young human's comments still irritated him, but the moment of clarity was all he'd really needed. He looked around. One man was blind, but there was obviously more to him than he was letting on. Another a fox. Gen had learned long ago that it was best not to tangle with them if not necessary. Though he was physically very powerful himself, they were always much faster and much more clever. Then there was this girl with whom Devoe now spoke.

His eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing as Devoe walked around him to the girl. Of course. She was possibly the most suspicious of them all. At least to him, she was. Another that was much more than she appeared. Gen wasn't the most aware, but to have snuck up on him so effortlessly-- to have practically been on top of him without him knowing until the very last instant... it took skill. Talent. Furthermore, if she had been interested in their search for the killer, why had she hidden it from them? Why did it take Gen outting her for her to become known?

Gen's jaw clenched, but he remained silent and he remained on guard. His hand slowly reached up behind him at his waist where he would normally have his blade holstered, only to remember that he'd left it in the bushes. She was between them. Where he was and where he wanted to be. The man walked around in a long arch, still watching them but making no sudden movements. He crossed his large arms over his chest and hunched down again.

"You're gonna get us all killed, boy..." Gen growled, his father's voice rumbling through in his displeasure. He eyed the girl, wondering if anyone else had the same startling feeling that he'd had just now.

Now instead of Devoe, the loud mouth that irritated him beyond reason, he glared down to Merissa.

[Cernan]

Issen glanced between the two newcomers, his eyes shifting between them. He Couldn't be sure if either of them were the person they were hunting for, but he was still more disconcerted by his failure to notice them. He could understand why he hadn't heard them, he had folded his ears down, and he could figure they had simply been hiding so that's why he didn't see them. It did not explain why he had not smelled them, or why he hadn't felt them. He should have been able to, they were both powerful enough, evidenced by Gen's blast and Merissa's not being more than stunned by it. His eyes shifted between them again, pointing his sword from one to the other as well, making sure they were making no sudden movements towards him before he let his guard down. He needed to improve his sense, and he was sure he knew why they had been dulled. With a slight sigh he realised his last illusion. With a sensation similar to having a film of soap sliding off Issen dispelled his last illusion, the one he used to make himself look older than he really was. His appearance would suddenly change to that of a young man in his mid-teens. He figured if either of the new comers or either of the other two for that matter were the killer his age would not impress them, and if the killer was still out there it would be better to be able to sense them. With the illusion gone he could immediatly feel his senses sharpen, now he could concentrate on figuring out if anyone in the group posed a threat or needed to be whacked with his sword. His eyes settled on Gen, figuring him to be the biggest threat given that he was the biggest one. His ears though pointed themselves at Satoshi and Merissa, he couldn't be sure about them either. He only knew it wasn't Devoe as he had the chance to peg him earlier with his arrows.

[Nayr]

Satoshi maintained his calm as the situation developed. Tensions rose, and something changed about one of the participants, the one that had been at the base of the tree already. All in all, nothing that merited his particular attention. Still, he kept his ears out for the first sign of trouble. He wasn't relaxed because things were peaceful, after all. It was because he could tell from a hundred tiny details about his environment that whatever happened here, he would have ample time to respond before any danger threatened him. He was relaxed because he stood in the eye of the storm and no matter how the wind howled around him, as it were, he was perfectly safe. After all, who would want to harm a blind merchant?

The girl made a good point about killers, though. You couldn't tell them by looks. The loud fellow from the bush sounded like he was fearsome looking, but something about his voice made Satoshi doubt that he was really the type to kill anyone unless pressed hard to do so. The girl, however, was another story. Not that she'd kill for no reason, but rather that she'd do it if she felt it would help. Devoe was transparent enough. He wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had absolutely no other choice. Being blind meant that a lot of insights about people that they didn't realize they gave away were easier to notice. Part of what helped Satoshi conceal things about himself behind the guise of the blind merchant just trying to make his way in the world. There was always truth behind the facades people put up, and Satoshi's experience with picking out other people's truth helped him hide his own. It was this skill that he was now employing, both to discern who would cause trouble among this motley group but also who could be of use in what was to come. The game had only just begun, and patience was always the first step in a successful strategy.

[Mini]

The entire time that Gen was running his mouth, Devoe had most of his attention focused elsewhere. It hadn't taken long at all for the archer to decide that the brute posed no immediate threat to anyone in the group, despite him stomping around and balling his hands into tight fists, and it had taken him even less time to decide that Gen was certainly not his killer. A loudmouth guy like that? It was impossible. The guy had too much of a temper to be the stealthy ninja-esque person he was hunting. The girl, though...

She said her name was Merissa, and that she had been traveling home when she heard about the murders. The girl looked a bit too young to be any sort of slayer or demon hunter, but looks could be deceiving enough. Her story sounded plausible enough, but it sure did have a lot of holes in it. She failed to mention the name of her home village, for one thing. And she pointed out that everybody had something they were hiding. Devoe trusted her about as far as he could throw her (which wasn't very far at all - he left the throwing of people to others). He wasn't getting much help from the other two how had shown up, either. The blind man hadn't so much as twitched. He could almost say the same for his foxy friend, except that he had dispelled the last of his illusions and now looked much younger than he had looked before. Devoe could only assume this was what the fox demon actually looked like and had dropped the illusion because... well, he didn't really know. Perhaps it was bothersome to focus his energies on keeping up an illusion when he could be doing other things with it. Demonic energies and powers was something that thankfully Devoe didn't have to worry about unless he was fighting a creature with said abilities.

What a fine mess this has become, he thought to himself.

"'Oi, Mr. Tall Dark And Angry? Shut up a minute so I can think," he grumbled, glancing over and Gen, unable to keep the smirk off his face as he yelled at him. He casually slid his arrow back into his quiver and slipped his bow back into place, then turned his attention towards the odd little group that had assembled under the tree. "Let's deal with things one at a time here. We're all here for one purpose, right? Well, maybe two, but I hope it will turn into one after you all hear me out. But anyway, that purpose should be to hear me out and then decide that we're going to hunt down who or what is behind these senseless murders and stop them. Merissa has reminded me that a woman certainly never forgets her manners. It occurs to me that she is the only one here who's bothered to introduce herself. Since I'm the one who asked you... well, most of you... here, why don't I go ahead and explain myself while I have everyone's attention? Then we can decide if we trust each other enough to work together."

Assuming that nobody was about to interrupt him at this point, Devoe continued. "The name's Devoe. Obviously, I'm an archer, and a damned good one at that. I guess you can consider me to be some kind of freelancer mercenary type of person. If there's a job to be done that I can do and I think I have the means to do it, then I'll do it. If the money is good, then I'll most definitely do it. I'm a simple guy," he said, shrugging a bit. "I came to Sakurajima a few days ago, right after the first two murders had happened. At first, I wasn't all that interested in what was happening. These are dangerous times we live in. Demons, thieves, bandits, rogue soldiers, you name a danger and it probably exists somewhere close by. But then they kept happening. Totally random targets, it would seem. That's what got my interest. Usually when someone is attacked in broad daylight, you expect there to be a reason - a thief is looking for money or goods, a man is looking for a good time with a young girl - sick, I know, but it happens - a demon is looking to sate its bloodlust, an animal is looking for food. These killings, though... they don't seem to have any rhyme or reason to them. I think there's something bigger going on here. Something bigger than just a person or demon going on a killing spree. I've seen the results of what can happen if a single demon gets mad enough to go on a killing spree. They wipe out the whole village, or kill all the men, or something to that effect. Same with a person. If a person goes nuts, they just start killing everything in sight. These have been random killings, and yet they also seemed to have been planned. But why? What is there to gain from killing completely random and seemingly helpless males and females of all ages?"

He had been talking quite animatedly, waving his arms around here and there to illustrate various points. Here, he paused to frown and cross his arms across his chest. "The villagers of both Sakurajima and Komakai no longer feel safe, but nobody is doing anything about this issue. It's expensive to hire professional demon slayers, and I'm not sure that I believe a demon is behind this. The priests of Sakurajima are holed up in their temple praying and pleading for divine intervention, but I'll be honest - I don't think that's gonna help very much." He sighed and uncrossed his arms to rub the back of his head. "I'm not sure if there's gonna be any sorta money reward involved in this, so if that's why you came, you better leave now."

[Remus]

Merissa turned away from Gen to give her attention for Devoe. "True, I was interested in it for some sort of compensation at first. Can't survive solely on what you can catch in the wild, but the particular vicious nature of these murder's intrigued me. Like you said most criminals demon or human alike have some sort of reasoning behind their kills. The sporadic nature and randomness of these attacks makes me wonder just what we are dealing with as well. Do they have some sort of perverse need to kill? Perhaps one that only they can understand? A sick need or feeling that the act of violence gives them? It would explain why their is no real pattern to the killing. Even if killing for the sake of killing, is their reason it could bring us one step closer to catching them."

------------------- Meanwhile in Komakai Temple----------------------
Raven stood admiring the beauty of the Eastern Gardens in the Komakai temple. The temple gardens were divided into sections that each faced different points of the compass. A variety of wildlife and fauna lived in the gardens giving it the unique look of some lost paradise. Monks and visitors to the temple strode around the gardens and ponds, occasionally paying homage to the statues of the gods and goddesses. Raven did his surveying in silence. He hated not being allowed his sword, not really understanding the need to keep these grounds sacred. If any of the entities that the monks worshiped so intently here ever existed, they sure did little to help the slaughter that happened here a few days ago. He walked over to one of the statues in particular. A woman with long hair, with a bow in one hand and a book in the other. The statue had no name or means of identification which made Raven wonder of her significance. A warrior? A scholar? Perhaps both. Playing the part he knelt in front of the statue and closed his eyes. To everyone else he would appear to be praying to whoever this woman was. In reality he was listening to what others were saying. The temple may be quiet, but that didn't mean it was entirely silent.

"Twelve's blessing upon you good traveler" said a voice and Raven's head snapped up. A monk in a long white robe was standing above him, his hands folded together. When Raven looked at him he gave an audible gasp. Raven was used to the reaction. Most people were scared when they looked at his face. When they saw him, they instantly knew what he was, and feared him for it. It was his eyes that were the problem. Raven's left eye was normal, grey and had the appearance that one was looking directly into a storm. It was his right eye that always caused panic. It was a dark crimson, the colour of blood, and lined with scars, scars that he himself had put there many years ago. Normally he took offense to people acting as if he was a monster but in this case he could understand. After all this temple was recently attacked by one. He waved his hand in dismissal.

"It is alight. I mean no one here any harm. I merely come to admire the beauty of this place and the power it holds" He bowed his head respectively. "You have no need to fear me." Unless of course you give me one


(Ooc: Yes I know Merissa's part is extremely short. I figured since everyone at this point is observing I'd keep her response short and directed at what Devoe was saying. The Raven part was just to expand things and let everyone know what he's doing. Up to you guys if you want to do something at the temple now or have something happen later that he can join.)

[Nayr]

Oh, it was just too much. The amount of conjecture regarding the motives of a killer begged to be addressed. Still, it wasn't something that he cared to jump in on quite yet.

"I'm Satoshi, merchant by trade and just so happening to be passing through when Devoe here made his exasperated and impassioned speech. I'm here out of a sense of interest in this killing spree. As you say, it can't be purely random. As an acquaintance of mine once said, 'Once is odd, twice is interesting, thrice a pattern.' As for the motives of the one responsible for these killings, I imagine once we find whatever it is that connects these victims we'll come to know that better. Regardless of what they shared in common in life, they have much in common in death. The threads that connect them to their killer are likely what will prove most interesting."

He paused for an ever so brief moment, reining himself in a bit. No need to say too much, lest he be thought an expert.

"I'm a merchant, as I said, and hardly expert in matters of life and death, but what I do know is that when my market is under attack, it profits me most to examine what connects the customers I lose to the competitor who steals them. If I know how my competitors attract my customers, I know how to proceed to even the score. In business, method is of utmost importance. I'm uncertain how helpful that is, but perhaps it will stimulate more experienced minds."

[Gen]

It wouldn't be long, listening to the lot of them prattle on about the murders, that Gen himself would become lost in thought. Even he had to admit that there was something strange afoot here, but that had been the entire reason that he'd wanted to stay out of it. He had a habit of drawing much unneeded attention to himself and anyone around him when he spoke up, and so the life of a silent vagabond had come to suit him very well. No more excitement, no more danger. No more loss...

He would take a seat under the tree Devoe had been hiding in, staring down at the ground with an arched brow. His ears twitched as he thought about each victim and all he knew about them. All that had been said. All that he'd overheard. There was one thing in common so far, but it seemed too early to consider it a real connection. Whatever was happening seemed almost ritualistic. Bowels, Heart, Neck. They were all places humans and demons alike fancied seats of power, gates, or channels through which energy flowed.

He looked up to the group again. The fox could certainly be a ritualistic killer. He hated them so. Their power was always bizarre and unpredictable. They were like fireworks, wrapped in small, pretty packaging. He'd heard of many of them being able to sap the life right from their victim. Disgusting vampires. He wasn't worried about the beggar, or the archer. As annoying as Devoe was, he didn't seem like he'd have the physical strength for this. Merissa was the only other one he'd worried about, but she too seemed rather earnest.

Still, he didn't trust any of them. A Devil could come in any disguise.

He huffed and said, "No one would miss them." Before crossing his arms over his chest again. It was the only thing that he could think of that they all had in common. No one wanted to look because no one would miss them. No family, no friends, with the exception of one upstanding member of the community. In the grand scheme of things, they were nothing more than frayed threads. Excess.

"You're gonna get everyone killed." Gen said again. He stretched back and put his hands behind his head, looking away with a rather pouty expression. "I'm not gonna help you find the killer... I think we should all move along. However... I didn't intend to leave for another couple o' days, sooo... I guess I can stick around and keep an eye out. I'm Ge-- mmh... King... And your victims all have one thing in common that we can speak of for sure. None of them really belonged. Ritual killings start out like this..."

He shrugged and crossed his arms again. "Not that I give a damn... loud mouthed brat..."

[Cernan]

Issen would find himself trying to listen to the members of the assembled groups as they gave their theories and introduction, but his attention was divided. First on the man, who for some reason he felt as a threat, and secondly on Merissa. Something about her just wasn't right. When Gen had moved and sat down Issen finally sheathed his sword. Watching the shifty glances he got from the man Issen figured out why he didn't trust him. The man was unduly wary of Issen, and so Issen was wary of him. Sitting though he posed not as much of threat, and his attention became less divided.

He listened as best he could to everyone, making mental notes, noticing they all seemed to be hiding something. Devoe was exuberant , yet had clearly been putting a lot of thought into the situation, much more than passerby or aspiring hero would normally. Satoshi, the blind merchant, hid nothing in his words, but in his actions, he was clearly far from helpless, Issen doubted that blindness was a handicap to the man at all. The large man, 'King', well he wouldn't even tell them his name and was oddly reluctant to offer any help. The girl though... she really stumped Issen, not from anything she said, but just by being.

He was so lost in his contemplation of the strange creature, that it took him a minute to realise that everyone else had made their introductions, and he was the only one left.

'Ah well, I guess it's my turn. My name is Issen, I was just planning n passing through this village but I liked it so I've been staying awhile. One of the victims of this killer was on of the staff where I was staying, she was nice and deserves justice. I don't really expect a reward and..."

Issen's voice trailed off. He had been unconsciously walking toward Merissa while he was talking, and now he was only a step away from her, his face nearly pressed into hers. What was she? He knew she could not be human, or at least not an ordinary one, as 'Kings' attack would have at the very least knocked out a human from such a close range. Plus she didn't quite feel human, and yet she didn't feel like a demon either. Usually Issen could just tell what sort of creature he was looking at, like with the large man in the bar, but he couldn't place this girl. Suddenly he was overcome by an impulse he couldn't control, reaching up a hand he poked Merissa's side.

"What manner of creature are you."