Feli watched as Yuen entered the kitchen, glad he could have helped the other Yokai. Though there was still the matter of the ink to clean up. He wasn't sure what to use to clean up the man-made substance, what would get it out of the floor. He could clean up blood no problem, but this was entirely foreign to him. He supposed the only thing to do really was enter the kitchen and see it anybody did know. He wasn't so proud as to not ask for help if he truly needed it. Like now. Though the thought of entering the kitchen still wasn't a pleasant one. He would have to brave whatever made that horrible stench, and the chaotic people inside. He entered as Yuen was leaving, to go who knows where. He gave the other Yokai and nod as he went past, an habit from the forest which would probably be entirely lost on him.

A little shyly he approached the group in the kitchen. "Pardon me, but Yuen accidentally broke a pen and there's ink on the floor. I'm afraid I don't know what to use to clean it up with. Would one of you mind helping me?" To them it probably sounded crazy, him not knowing what do to with such a simple thing to them. But he doubted any of them knew how to properly skin and prepare a deer. Or what plants were poisonous, which ones were medicinal, and which ones could be eaten. So in the end Feli just assumed that they were even.

His shoulder was really starting to ache, even under the thick layer of bandages the material of his shirt and jacket were rubbing it uncomfortably. And the medicine was beginning to wear off. It was not in his best interests to deal with the broken pen at the moment, but if he didn't, nobody else would. Because Yuen had just taken off without taking care it, and it had been his fault in the first place. He hoped to get this taken care of quickly so he could find his room and take care of the still healing burn.

Capello, Gin, Kimiko

"Don't worry about me Little Flower. Just rest for a bit."

Capello placed one hand on Gin's forehead as Kimiko exploded. She was warm, and odds are the toxins were affecting her due to her size. She must have a very weak constitution, combined with blood loss and minor poisoning, the girl was losing consciousness fast. Youkai, even half breeds, were a tough lot. Still, best to get her bandaged up rapidly. He doubted she'd die from such a shallow wound. He lifted her small frame carefully up in his arms before turning towards the Ame-Onna as she finished her tirade. The fox's tone was a no-nonsense and serious one as he looked at her, blue eyes cold.

"Kimiko. I'm a bodyguard, and while I may not be yours specifically, you're still a tenant of Primrose and as such, you are both under my protection. My safety is a secondary concern when it comes to any of you. If I had waited to try and bring someone else, I'd be staring at two blood stains right now. I made a choice, and it was the right one. However, you're right. I apologize for not coming faster, it was a mistake on my part."

A lot of humans had gathered around the area, possibly because of the sudden downpour, more likely due to the incredibly loud, violent fight that had occurred before Capello had covered everything up with his illusions. A dented dumpster sat on the sidewalk, attracting a lot of attention. The liar's hair was plastered against his face, the blood washing off as he tried to keep Gin out of the downpour, holding her closer to the wall in hopes the eaves would actually do their job. His arm felt like it was on fire, but the pain was subsiding. Thank Hell for demon physiology. Capello's jovial facade bubbled back up and he gave the Ame-Onna a warm smile.

"Rabisu's aren't toxic. But this one was definitely poisoned, my mouth is still kinda numb from it, which is even weirder that the venom is still pretty potent while in the bloodstream. I think the Little Flower here will be fine in the long run, but definitely uncomfortable for awhile. I'm glad neither of you are seriously hurt though. But it's odd, this thing attacked both of you. That's...incredibly unusual. Something scared it, made it desperate enough to attack two half-yokai in a crowded area during the day. But we should talk about it back at the complex. I'll keep us hidden, juuuuust in case he had friends."

A lot of questions surfaced in the fox's mind. Too many questions. A lot of contingency plans to start working on. A lot of reactionary plans, a lot of theorizations. Capello was a thinker, not a fighter. If he wanted to avoid another situation like this, he needed information. It wasn't hard to scan the area, looking carefully for any faces that seemed too interested or too calm, while hidden. But nothing cropped up. He would need to recon later, talk to his sources, talk to locals, and find out who attacked the Rabisu. He tucked Gin a bit closer to his chest, stepping over to Kimiko's side as he tightened the illusion up.

"Before the lovely humans start wading in, Hime-chan."

---

Victor, Feli, Exoris, Marie

As Marie walked away towards the voice coming from the kitchen, a...woman? Man? Woman. No, man, judging by the voice and very VERY subtle adam's apple, walked up to Victor and Exoris.

"Pardon me, but Yuen accidentally broke a pen and there's ink on the floor. I'm afraid I don't know what to use to clean it up with. Would one of you mind helping me?"

The Jabberwocky looked back towards Marie, but it seemed she was busy, so he instead nodded and adjusted his glasses.

"Ja, I'll help. Um...though I don't know where we'll find cleaning supplies. Frau Exoris, would you know where we could get cleaner and perhaps a brush or sponge to help with Herr...uh, I'm sorry, but I don't know your name?"

Victor held out one hand, careful to make sure it wouldn't force the elf to lift his apparently injured shoulder. The Jabberwocky had a practiced eye for such things, noticing the favoring and almost imperceptible wincing. The elf must have injured it recently.

"I'm Victor Steiner, a new tenant here. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

There'd been so many people stepping in and out that the Inugami's initial concern was soon drowned out by more chitchat, on top of a small twitch that had her standing on edge as she backed up a bit and took a seat -- legs crossed over each other as she watched the people buzz to and fro. So much going on...part of it actually made Exoris want to curl up and go hide back in the back room of the kitchen where she'd spent a horrific amount of time sulking in before Capello and Marie had coaxed her out.

...Oh. Then her attention was actually called for? A look akin to that of a confuzzled pup appeared on her face at the word placed before her name. Frau?...
"...Mate, what?...Oh. Ah. Cleaning supplies? I could just lick it up and be some with i- oh. Right right. Marie said no more of that for some reason...Alright, alright. Follow me. Viktor? Yep, I think I got that right. Lessgo.~"
And with that, she'd pop herself up in a jiffy, dusting off her skirt and the shoes underneath before taking hold of Viktor's hand and marching off with him in tow.

...now. Let's see...where were all those painful-smelling things Marie used? Oh, uh...kitchen...there was some kind of pantry for that, wasn't there?...Subtle tugs of the male who would hopefully be willing to let her drag him around would come with her sniffing through one of the doors before she opened it up and pointed in.
"AHA! MY ONE TRUE ENEMY! LYSOL! Here's the cleaning supplies. Uh...Marie usually uses the mop thingy and one of the sprays for most of the mess ups I make so...here we goooo..."

Picking up one of the mops and a bottle of the cleaning liquid, the poor girl looked hella awkward as she made a scowl and began dragging it out (nearly hitting herself in the face as she hoisted it up an upon her shoulder), and pointed back out to the main lobby.
"I have no idea how to use this but I'll learn right now! Let's go! I'll clean it up so you don't have to."
That was totally reassuring. Yes? Yep. Completely. Alright. Time to learn how to work a mop.

The expression in Capello's eyes shocked her. Kimiko hadn't seen him this serious before - he was always joking, always teasing. She immediately regretted her little outburst. It seemed immature and ungrateful, especially after he apologized for being late to the rescue. I didn't mean it. I was just worried, she thought, but the words refused to leave her mouth as she looked away from him, watching the heavy raindrops splash to the ground.

She glanced at the kitsune in worry, noting the girl's lidded eyes, almost on the verge of fainting. The rain wasn't helping at all and she would probably suffer from a fever later. And that would be my fault, she thought dejectedly, her nails digging into the palm of her hand as she clenched her fists. "What else can you do but sit and look pretty? You are just a doll to be admired...you're useless for anything else..." Her sister's words never seemed to ring truer as she listened to Capello, staring at the blood being washed off by the rain.

"Gin heard it," she added as he commented on how unusual the attack was. "I didn't hear it, but it was probably a distressed call of some sort, as she ran off looking alarmed." Perhaps it had been trying to lure them out. Either way, a situation such as this was rare and needed to be looked at closely when they got back. Taking a deep breath, Kimiko reverted back to her normal form, black strands of hair sticking to her face, making her resemble more like the terrifying Ame-Onna of legends than her real yokai form. She had kept her umbrella with her, though it was now of a plain black color instead of its usual elaborate design.

"Before the lovely humans start wading in, Hime-chan."

That finally made her look up at him, surprise evident in her eyes. She didn't think she'd ever feel herself relieved to hear his nickname for her before. It meant things were okay...for now. "Th-Thank you..." Kimiko said in a small voice as she looked away, busying herself with opening the umbrella and positioning it over them. She kept to his side, making sure to shield Gin and him from the pouring rain as they made their way to the complex.

Thanks to the fox's illusion, there were no interruptions and they reached home in a short time. "I'll call Marie. You should take her to the lounge, it's the closest," she told Capello, before briskly walking towards the one place she was sure the bakeneko would be.

"Marie!" Kimiko called as soon as burst into the kitchen, not noticing anyone else. "We were attacked. Gin and Capello are injured."

Feli was glad somebody was willing to help him and not just stare at him like he was an idiot. He accepted the hand that Victor held out to him and shook it. Grateful that he didn't need to move his injured shoulder and upper arm much. Though didn't know that Victor had done it on purpose. "I'm Feli Narunai, also a new tenant." Though an unwilling one. But he just left that part out, it would be better that way. Too many questions would have been asked. A very... odd looking and smelling girl wanted to help too, since neither of them knew where to find supplies. And suddenly him and Victor were being dragged off to somewhere. The girl rummaged around in a tiny room that was far too full to actually live it. It must have just been for storage.

Lysol? What was that? Feli had a feeling that he didn't want to know. It sounded very man made and not natural at all. But if that's what it took to get the ink cleaned up, then Feli would have to endure it. It seemed that the strange girl didn't know what she was going either. Well between the three of them, they'd figure it out. He lead them out to where the ink spill was. "So um, now what?" He said awkwardly.

Suddenly three people entered the room. One of them completely ignored the group trying to figure out the ink situation. Feli easily heard what the girl said in kitchen. Attacked? Didn't they have bodyguards? That was why he was here after all. The landlord didn't exactly have everything figured out did he? The other two who left seemed injured, judging from the smell of blood and the fact that one was unconscious. They almost smelled heavily of rain, which was odd considering that he hadn't heard or smelled the rain.

Capello, Gin, Kimiko

The travel back to Primrose had been in silence. Gin's condition hadn't seemed to change, but at least Capello's gums and arm had stopped burning. His mind raced around, trying to see every possible angle. A new clan of Rabisu had moved in, a turf war? No, that didn't explain the venom. Basilisks...they petrified with their poisons, and it wouldn't have been so...tenacious. The fox looked at Gin, still thinking before his blue eyes roamed onto the moping Ame-Onna. In her human form, the rain just made her look like a sad little girl who forgot her umbrella. She looked emotionally drained. Upon entering the apartments, passing a trio, Kimiko immediately headed towards the kitchen.

"I'll call Marie. You should take her to the lounge, it's the closest,"

Capello did so, laying the Kitsune onto one of the couches and once again feeling her forehead. Still warm. The poison was powerful, if even a residual could grab on for this long. He propped Gin's head up on a pillow before sitting back for a moment. The liar tapped his chin, then twitched as he heard Kimiko's voice filter down the hall.

"We were attacked. Gin and Capello are injured."

He examined his arm. The puncture was deep, sure. But not particularly large. And he seemed to be pretty tolerant of the venom, or at least it's residual. Having Marie and the others futz over him would be a waste of time, he told himself, laying a blanket over Gin before standing up. He'd treat his own injury. Besides, he had too many questions that needed to be answered. He smiled down at Gin.

"You rest for a bit."

With a ripple, the fox disappeared from sight.

---

Victor, Exo, Feli, Kimiko

The Jabberwocky was unceremoniously yanked along behind Exoris, giving a yelp as he stumbled. This girl was fast, and oddly uncoordinated, but it was like the clumsy steps transferred straight to Victor's legs instead of her own, as his hip jammed against a side table. Finally they reached the supply closet, the boy trying to catch his balance as the door flung open.

"Marie usually uses the mop thingy and one of the sprays for most of the mess ups I make so...here we goooo..."

Victor narrowly dodged the mop handle slamming into his teeth as he reeled back, then decided to place himself firmly behind Feli, using the elf as a shield. Exoris marched off towards the hall with the spill, clearly full of determination and vigor. The Jabberwocky blinked in confusion.

"Is she not aware of half the stuff she's doing?"

"I'll call Marie. You should take her to the lounge, it's the closest."

A trio of others, a tall man carrying a small girl and a drenched young woman, suddenly came barging through the door. The familiar scent of blood reached Victor's nose as they passed, one heading towards the kitchen and shouting Marie's name while the other two disappeared towards the lounge. Was it always this busy around here? His medical knowledge could come in handy it seemed...

Despite his best efforts, Yuen could not make heads or tails of the twisting halls, almost as if they were some sort of trap. Or maybe he was just really dizzy. God, he was famished. He would seriously consider eating the next living thing he came across, but there was no indication that would be any time soon. Eventually, he gave up, and did his best to backtrack to the main lobby. At least he knew where the kitchen was from there.

---

Marie frowned as Exoris disappeared, reappearing with a can of lysol and a mop, hobbling as awkwardly as a parkinson's stricken penguin. Stepping in front of her, she snatched the cleaning supplies away, giving her a look of reproach.
"No. Leave those with me, dear, it's my job to clean up. And knowing you, you'd probably manage to both eat and set my mop on fire." she remarked, turning on heel and leaving the kitchen, walking into the lobby.

And right into Yuen.

Eager and excited as he picked up the familiar smell of the kitchen, whatever smell it was, the Byakko jogged as quickly as he could, turning the corner at a high speed and colliding with the maid. He slipped and fell, barely managing not to hit his head on the ground, Marie tumbling over him with her arms outstretched to break her fall. The can of cleaning liquid still in hand, however, hit the floor nozzle down, and sprayed the stinging liquid right in Yuen's face.

The boy recoiled and twitched in a silent scream, rolling out from under Marie and covering his face. His eyes! They burned! His mouth, nose, throat, they all seared with pain, but mostly his eyes! Dear lord in heaven, what in god's name was that?! He couldn't see anything!

While Yuen spasmed in agony, Marie got up with a groan, somehow oblivious to the silent thrashing of the young man behind her.
"Oooh, ouch! What on earth-" she stopped speaking as the harsh smell of blood reached her nose, her ears perking up and her eyes widening. She stood up calmly, seeing Kimiko in the kitchen. She clutched her mop tightly in her hands, marching towards the girl, until she almost seemed to tower over her.
"What. Happened. To. My. Babies?" she asked, her emphasis on each word becoming more and more menacing, though it was unclear whether or not her anger was directed towards the Ane Onna or towards whatever monster had harmed them.

Marie's stare was menacing enough to make Kimiko shake in her boots, even though she wasn't the one at fault. The maid appeared motherly, and even quite ditzy at times, but gods, she could be quite scary when she was angry.

"A R-Rabisu attacked G-G-Gin," Kimiko stuttered at first as she looked up at the bakeneko. Squaring her shoulders, she continued more clearly as she stepped by her and walked towards the fridge. "Capello saved us, but he's hurt too. They're in the lounge."

It was then that she noticed the figure writhing noiselessly on the ground behind Marie. Is he playing some sort of game? she wondered, frowning at him. Well, it wasn't important now, Gin was in need of help. Grabbing a cold compress, she turned round and headed towards the lounge, passing the other tenants on her way. She briefly glanced at them but paid them no mind. There would be time to talk later...hopefully.

Entering the lounge, Kimiko blinked in confusion when she noted that Gin was alone. Where did that fox run off to? she wondered with a heavy sigh. Nearing the couch where the kitsune lay, the Ame-Onna pressed the compress onto her warm forehead in hopes of helping her cool down.

They were going to go clean up the mess, but they were stopped by some sort of cat Yokai. Apparently it was here job to clean everything thing up. He just wanted to clean up the mess, and suddenly all hell was breaking loose. The cat Yokai crashed into Yuen and both of them got knocked to the ground. The lysol stuff sprayed into Yuen's face and he started writhing on the ground. Feli moved to help him and stopped as the smell hit him. It was the most man-made thing he had ever smelled before, and it was horrible. He clapped a hand over his mouth and nose and had to steady himself on the wall. He was trying really hard not to make another mess on the floor. Yuen was still in pain though and he had to help him.

Feli pushed himself off the wall, and while still keeping a hand over his mouth and nose, got Yuen to his feet. Carefully he led the other Yokai to the kitchen and the sink. Trying not to pass out. After a moment of trying to figure out how to work the sink, he got the water running and got Yuen's face under it. Hopefully washing the terrible, demon liquid, off and taking away the pain. Removing his hand from his face, Feli breathed in the scent of the fresh, natural, water. The nausea and the dizziness faded a little bit, but not a whole lot. Thankfully the smell was being taken away by the water, so hopefully it was helping Yuen. He didn't want the other Yokai to be seriously hurt by that demonic fluid. He also made a mental note not to ever make another mess in the place again. He wasn't sure if he could stand that stuff again, let another something stronger if there was anything.

Victor, Feli, Yuen, Exoris

It was like a sketch comedy. Victor watched in disbelief as one accident steadily rolled into another and another and yet another. The Jabberwocky was simply amazed. In 10 seconds, he had seen three people taken down. By a mop. The boy folded one arm, rubbing his chin as he watched Yuen flail about under the sink and Feli apparently trying hard to not vomit onto the other boy's head. His eyes flicked over to Exoris, who seemed content to sit and watch the chaos unfold as Marie sprinted...well...stomped furiously would be more accurate, into the lobby. These people were supposed to protect him from the powerful enemies his father had made.

God help Victor if the Cartel carried Swiffers. The boy pulled his handkerchief out of his front coat pocket, walked over to the pair at the sink, and handed it to Feli with a smile.

"Use this to wipe his eyes."

Pivoting around, his dress shoes clacked softly against the floor as he walked over to Exoris, patting her head with another smile.

"I think the spill will be taken care of without our help, but I applaud the effort involved on your part. Perhaps we should go listen in about this...attack?"

The Jabberwocky walked to the entrance of the lobby, quietly overlooking the proceedings within.

---

Capello, Marie, Gin, Kimiko

Capello suddenly flickered into sight about an inch from Kimiko's face. He gave a grin before puffing into smoke, wrapping behind the Ame-Onna and materializing with a hand up to calm Marie down. The injured arm seemed to be completely unmarred, leading to the logical conclusion that it was another illusion of the fox, not the actual one. Or that he was hiding the wound. It was really hard to tell with him.

"We're fine my feline beauty. The Rabisu's gone and both girls are safe. Gin got a little residual venom though and lost some blood, she just got lightheaded. Whatever pushed that thing to the edge had some serious poison in it. Even made me lightheaded, and that's hard to do to a demon."

The liar scratched his chin, then clapped his hands once. He had to downplay the situation to avoid Marie simply going Juggernaught on the city. Or the room. Really he just had to avoid her getting worked up, which was exceedingly difficult, even for the smooth talking fox, when one of her "babies" was injured. He just hoped Kimiko wouldn't bring up his own injury.

"However, this does bring up an important subject. Two of our tenants were attacked. I think I can speak for most of us when I say that's simply unacceptable by any standards. I know it's early, but I think we should, at the very least, get the bodyguard situation handled. The truth is I barely made it in time. And if Hime-chan hadn't thought of calling for help, both she and the Little Flower would be dead right now. So!"

Capello stepped out of his body, both versions throwing their arms over their counterpart's shoulders with a broad grin.

"The important thing right now is that we don't panic and think about this strategically. We need to start doing our jobs here. A personal bodyguard is fine and great, but only if we actually ARE bodyguards. Partners are in order. I don't think any of the tenants should go out without at least one of us with them."

The liar merged back into one, leaning back against the wall.

"I know this isn't how it normally works, but we aren't in a normal situation right now. I think we should gather everyone, and if nothing else, make some temporary partnerships to avoid another situation like this."

Gin, Marie, Capello, Kimiko

Gin shifted. Her eyes fluttered open, and she scanned the room. Kimiko was with Capello and Marie, who seemed rather angry. And... why were there octopuses on their heads? Gin opened her mouth, and promptly started giggling uncontrollably.

"Maaaaarie, when did you get octopuses? Octopi? Woooooah, they're changing color!" Gin kept shifting, attempting to get a clear look at the trio. While doing this, the compress that had previously been on her head fell into her vision. She halfheartedly flailed, attemting to get the object off, falling off the couch in the process.

"Ooooooh, did I miss tea time?" She asked, trying her best to eat the compress.

---

Marie looked between Kimiko and Capello, before sucking in a breath and nodding. Scaring them wouldn't do anything, and Capello was right. It was just to dangerous. She combed a hand through her blonde hair, before looking back to them.

"You have a point. The full bloods are becoming more bold, and all of you need protection. Protection that I, nor any of the other staff here can always give. There will be times when you need each other and I-" Marie was interrupted by a noise. She looked back to the couch where Gin had been set down and cocked an eyebrow. "Octopuses? I don't think I know what you mean Miss Gin..."

Marie was glad that Gin was not passed out, but something seemed off... why was she asking about octopi and tea time of all things now? She nervously looked back to the two in front of her, before quickly walking over to the couch as the occupant of it fell off. She took the compress out of her mouth, before picking Gin up into her arms.

"Well, she seems to be over her wound but, she seems rather, well... The toxins seem to have caused her a little bit of hallucinations." Marie struggled to keep the girl in her arms as she giggled and attempted to touch the floor, muttering something about watermelons and snails. "She'll be fine." She muttered, smiling slightly. Gin had an ear splitting grin on, and Marie was slightly worried.

"Yes dear, whatever you say." Marie laughed, patting Gins head.

Yuen could feel himself being pulled up, desperately trying to rub his eyes without clawing them out. Which was not as easy as one would think, since he did actually have claws. He couldn't see anything, his eyes red and watering horribly. He could tell he was being dragged somewhere, but didn't realize where until his head was shoved under a spray of running water. He was surprised, inhaling some of the water, causing him to choke and splutter, panicking. But the strong arm above him held him down, and he couldn't cough without inhaling more liquid. Great, now his eyes weren't stinging, but he was drowning!

He gave once strong, final spasm, breaking free of the aggressor's grip and falling back on the floor, coughing violently. They were strange coughs, considering how voiceless he was, really they just sounded like air going through a clogged pipe. His hair was soaked from being held under, getting his shirt wet, his pointed ears had water in them, further disorienting him, and on top of that, his returning vision was blurry. And his eyes still hurt, though not as badly as before.

Once he had gotten his breath back, still wheezing horribly, he rubbed his eyes and looked up at the person who had just attempted to kill him, surprised to see it was the strange "elf" person, whom he had met prior. He scrambled backwards, ramming the back of his head into the countertop, and doubled over, holding the sore bump. Shit! Why the fuck did this keep happening?! He should have never left Korea, these foreigners and their madness were too weird and dangerous! How was he going to live here if this sort of thing kept happening?

After hours of relaxing in his room, Joseph was interrupted by the loud panics from the other tenants. Though the other residents were often loud at times, he felt that it would be best to check on them nonetheless. As he put on a warm brown overcoat, an old picture of Tino, his foster father fell out of the back pocket. Putting on a warm smile at being able to see Tino's face again, he quietly placed the photo back into his overcoat and began to walk out side of his room.

Once he finally walked into the lounge and noticed a fairly large amount of the other tenants gathered there. Though he recognized a few of the faces, the only person whose name he had managed to remember yet was Marie's who seemed to be trying to comfort another woman, who seemed to be giggling uncontrollably. "Excuse me, is everything alright? I heard a loud commotion coming from outside my room, and wanted to check to make sure no one was hurt." Though he could tell from the looks on everyone's faces, that he was right on assumption that something might have happened.

Gin, Marie, Capello, Joseph

---

Kimiko cursed, jumping back when the fox materialized infront of her. Why does he do that?! She glared at him when he reappearred beside Gin, looking him up and down to assess his injuries. They...healed? She frowned, not really hearing his words as he talked to Marie. No, that can't be right. He doesn't have super-healing. Which meant it was an illusion. She looked around the lounge, wondering if the real Capello was anywhere nearby. He could be in another room and she'd have no idea. Mentally cursing him, she turned her attention back to the conversation, blinking when she saw that there was two of him now. Really, wasn't one of him enough? Thankfully, that didn't last too long, but he was giving her a headache again.

They were talking about forming partnerships. Kimiko sighed at the thought, deciding not to comment on that for now. She didn't know any of the others. She was supposed to run background checks on them, observe their habits, see how they fared in a fight and then form a contract with one of them. It was much too soon.
If only she hadn't left the building today... But there was no point regretting that now. She had to think about who to choose. Who could she even trust? Her eyes automatically slid to Capello and she quickly looked away before he could catch her. It's not too illogical. He saved me - us - moments ago and I know he's good in a fight... She mentally groaned. Do I really have no choice?

"Ooooooh, did I miss tea time?"

Kimiko's mouth twitched as the kitsune rambled about nonsensical things. Even though it was comedic, she hoped it wasn't permanent. One loopy fox was enough, thank you. Besides, she had enjoyed her sane company during lunch and would like to talk again, minus another Rabisu attack.

"Maybe she needs food?" Kimiko wondered. "She's trying to eat the compress and keeps mumbling about it," she shrugged. Although, Marie would probably try feeding her something she had made and that would end...badly. "Um...I think there are some potato chips in the pantry," she suggested before Marie got the idea of cooking something for the poor girl. Just then, her flailing made her fall from the couch and the bakeneko went to her side to pick her up.

Kimiko glanced at the fox leaning against the wall. "Where are you really hiding?" she asked him quietly, narrowing her eyes. She had half a mind to tell Marie about his injuries but she didn't want the cat's anger to flare up again. Besides, Gin needed attention and the maid couldn't be in two places at once. "I saw your injuries. You need-" she began to tell him off but was interrupted by the arrival of a new face. Well, he looked new. She couldn't remember if she had seen him around. She had been cooped up in her room for the past few days just to avoid meeting new people anyway. Why is he wearing a coat indoors in this weather? she wondered with a frown. Kimiko decided to let Marie or Capello answer the stranger, in case they knew him. In the meanwhile, she stared down Capello, or at least his illusion, until he satisfied her with an answer.

Marie sighed, rubbing her temples and smiling slightly. Every year, something or another happened. She flashed back to her first time at Primrose. She had panicked, breaking someones nose and causing quite a bit of damage. Then she had become someones body guard do to her strength, and the place had eventually stuck on her. The tenant she had been both guarding and in a relationship with had moved away, and she was offered a job as the maid by the landlord. Being a mother was always in her instinct, and she felt at home here.

"Yes dear, if you could get some water and aspirin as well? I fear that Miss Gin will be having quite the headache when she wakes up." Marie cast a warm smile over to Kimiko, sitting down on the couch and letting Gin snuggle into her. Another face apeared in the hallway, and Marie turned her attention towards him. "Oh, hello Mr. Richardson. We were having a little talk, feel free to join in. You see, two of our tenants, Gin and Kimiko, were attacked by a rabisu while outside. We were discussing the issue of bodyguards." Marie waved the boy over to the group. He had only been there for a couple days, but Marie knew all of the people at Primrose. It was part of her job, and also a personal matter for her.

---

"Why did you hurt the turnip?" Was the only distinguishable thing Gin had said in between rambling. It was directed to no one in particular, but it was still an odd thing, especially for the young, shy seeming girl.

Gin stopped flailing, instead opting to snuggle against Marie, muttering gibberish about teapots. After a few minutes, her eyes shut, brows furrowing as her vision blurred. She could hear voices, but they were indistinguishable and rather loud. Everything sounded loud right now, and her head ached. She snuggled further against Marie, grumbling. She was slowly coming back to her senses, but it hurt like hell. Her eyes opened just a crack, scanning the room.

"Mmmm... what happened?" Her voice was slow, tiredness kicking in. She reminded herself not to go outside in the future if this is the consequence. She was dizzy, but she sat up against Marie, blearily looking around. "W-what did I miss? Oh... Oh yeah..." She looked down at her stomach, wincing. Luckily it didn't feel as bad as it looked. She covered herself, leaning over so her chest was hidden behind Marie. No way was her first impression on strangers going to need like this.

Thomas walked onward through the rain, the steady patter sound from atop his umbrella lulling him into a calm state, as he sought to get to his destination. In the distance loomed Primrose Terrace, a vestige of safe havens for his kind, and one he had been lucky enough to secure a job at. It truly is a beautiful location, far better than.. His trail of thought broke off as the wind picked up, hurtling the rain sideways into his face, with a grimace he readjusted his umbrella and.. Whoooosh! It took off into the skies, ripped from his grasp, yet still within reach if he chose to react. A smile crept onto his face as he let the winds carry it away, he always claimed to enjoy the rain, despite his best efforts to remain dry during such weather. He figured it was about time he lived up to his words.

A few minutes later had him at the front gates, every stitch of clothing soaked, his coat thrown over the briefcase he carried to shelter it from the worst of the weather. He paused a moment taking in all the details of the building, it was excellently kept, whomever they got to do the gardens was to be commended and the building itself was a respectable image that radiated wealth. His leg gave a sharp twist of pain as he took his next step, his brow knitting together in a frown as he sought to compose himself, drawing forth his walking cane from a sleeve of his shirt as if some bottomless compartment lay within. Leaning heavily upon it, he made his way to the entrance and opened the door with a shoulder, a rhythmic Tap Tap Tap accompanied him across the lobby.

Much to his surprise he found the place empty, though he could hear what sounded like people talking somewhere further in the complex. "Hello?" He called out hesitantly, making sure to stay atop the tiles, as a small pool of water was forming at his feet. He really hoped he wasn't intruding upon matters that were not his own.

Basically Everyone

Capello bit one finger in amusement as he watched Gin fumble around in her high. Seemed the venom tweaked her brain a bit. He was rather glad it hadn't seemed to affect him as significantly. He quirked one brow as one of the new bodyguards walked in, asking if everyone was alright. Marie seemed to be calm and in control of the situation now, allowing Capello to finally acknowledge the seething Kimiko glaring daggers into the side of his skull. Instead of fully looking at her, he simply tilted his head to one side, giving her a sideways glance with a grin as he raised one finger to his lips.

"Hime-chan, I'm fine. A bite from a half dead whelp of a beast is foreplay at best. I already bandaged myself. I appreciate the concern though."

He suddenly gave a wide grin and a wink.

"But if you'd prefer to check my body in detail, I can think of worse fates out there. I didn't realize you were so forward. What about that mystery man you were gonna meet earlier? Such a heart-breaker!"

From his actual hiding spot, the fox bit the gauze before tying it around his arm that was now cleaned and bound. Shoddily, mind you. Still, he'd rather do it himself and have the bandage be a little loose then let someone else paw and fret over him. Or at least, that's what he told himself. The thought of being seen injured, even such a minor wound, made him feel...exposed. Capello's eyes roamed to the doorway as he heard someone give a tentative call out. He recognized the voice, and with a soft breath, brought another illusion of himself walking out of the wall next to Thomas.

"Crazy weather today eh Shandy? You're in late. Or early, depending on how you see it."

Shandy because he was a Londoner. Admittedly not one of his best, but calling him Cane seemed insensitive, even for Capello. The liar blinked as his eyes focused on Victor, who, while standing in the doorway, had turned to greet Thomas and instead watched Capello walk out of the wall. It took the boy several seconds before coming to a conclusion in his head and shaking off the initial shock.

"Oh, hey Doc! Didn't see you there. You been listening in?"

"Ja fuschs. I'm glad no one vas hurt seriously."

Victor had learned by the second day to ignore Capello's nicknames for everyone, and just go with it. Giving a reaction just made it worse. The Jabberwocky gave a polite nod to Thomas, not seeming to mind that he had gone unnoticed. Story of his life really. Mostly.

"Hallo, I'm Victor Steiner, one of the new residents."

Capello seemed to have disappeared, leaving Victor feeling incredibly awkward at the silence he had expected the fox to fill. The boy fidgeted, then pointed into the lobby, his already noticeable German accent getting thicker as he felt his face start to flush.

"Um...I guess someone vas attacked, ja?"

The voices had finally stopped whispering.

A steady clopping filled Claire’s ears as she finally began to wake, the sound comforting and familiar combined with the unnaturally smooth ripples of muscle beneath her, rather than a jostling gait of any regular horse. The girl’s fingers curled against the black mane of hair the consisted of her pillow before burying her face against it with a quiet groan.

“What time is it?” Beneath her the huge shire horse tossed his head upward almost pointing to the sky with a low sputter. “No way, it can’t be that late in the day-“ Claire finally pushed herself up from her position slumped forward on Thanatos to tilt her own head up, squinting at the bright light that filtered down from the trees above.

“No fucking way.” The dullahan let out a long suffering sigh and lifted a hand to run through her unruly hair, puffing her cheeks out before slowly exhaling. “Hell of a run last night, huh?” But at least the voices were quiet again.

It didn’t happen often that the whisperings started. To be honest it hadn’t in months, maybe even bordering on a year, but just recently – when her friend and first ‘assignment’ – had moved on they had started again. It wasn’t anything malicious, that Claire knew. It was almost comforting, a soft calling to come search for them. Find them, call back to them and bring them home. It sparked that wanderlust in Claire, and like clockwork she’d always follow.

So last night her and Thanatos followed the same old pattern and ended up scouring the more recluse countryside outside the city once night fell, her friend patiently putting up with her subtle tugs and pulls on the human spine wrapped about his neck to lead him. At first she chattered like usual to him, but as the night wore on Claire became quiet before she finally lost her head – literally. The rest of the night it remained cradled in her lap, arm protectively around her precious bundle as her eyes darted about in the dark light. It was a useless endeavour – in the darkness it seemed like a haze was always covering her eyes.

Claire never noticed when she started to close in on it, but Thanatos always did. Of course he would, he’s a smart horse, and after passing the same deer crossing sign the fifth time that night anyone would catch on if they weren’t visually impaired. He never protested and just let his rider urge him into gradually tighter loops until finally, finally she called him to stop from their endless walk. It was here, by that same sign and lonely little road the Dullahan curled her fingers into her hair and lifted her head right up, eyes darting and body tense but no sound coming from her grinning lips. They had to have stayed like that for upwards of ten minutes in the cold morning air before the first rays of sunshine finally began to peak over the horizon, and with it the exhaustion hit with the force of a tidal wave.

Thanatos was patient as ever as Claire grudgingly lowered her head to place upon her neck once more, the black smoky tendrils that leaked from the wounds curling about each other before finally fusing into a shaky seam. It wouldn’t hold against the right application of force, but it was enough to pass as normal. Claire had barely pulled the collar of her jacket up to hide it before almost flopping onto Thanatos and patting his muscled side.

“Next time, buddy, next time.” And as always Thanatos obeyed the unsaid command even as Claire buried her nose into the thick mane on his broad neck, falling asleep to his steady movements. It was like this every time, never ending in anything significant happening. Despite it every time they ended up out anyway, searching and searching.

After all, it was the whispers that lead Claire to first call out for Thanatos on his last day.

Of course now that they were almost home free it was fairly late in the day already, and despite being a behemoth of a horse sleeping on Thanatos was not good for Claire’s spine. The one in her body, at least; the one around Thanatos’ neck was fine where it was. Her hair was probably in need of a brushing too. Nothing to do about it though, now that they had finally reached their destination.

Hidden on the edge of a relatively unused hiking trail, far from the apartments and on the edge of the city Claire finally slipped off Thanatos, having to make a small jump to properly land and immediately beginning to stretch with a series of pops from her joints. She glanced to Thanatos with her ever present grin only to gesture to herself, other hand combing through her hair with her long fingers.

“Do I look like a mess?” Thanatos snorted and stomped his hoof, only to try and lean in and lick his rider. Claire immediately jerked back with a laugh in response, swatting at his nose. “Hey, hey! I’m not that desperate.” Deciding her hair was a lost cause Claire finally turned, stretching her hands above her head with a low grunt as her joints popped.

“You know, at least Luciana has a cushion. Maybe if we got you a saddle…” Immediately Thanatos reared up as though personally offended, only making Claire laugh harder. “Alright, alright, no saddle and no Luciana, I get it!” When he landed again, harrumphing and tossing his head Claire just reached over to put an arm around his neck, standing on her tip toes to do so.

“Thanks for the ride buddy, I’ll see you at home.” Thanatos whinnied, gave an affectionate nuzzle to Claire, and like that the black horse stepped back and seemed to just … dissolve. It was hidden from any prying eyes in this wilderness but none the less Claire was quick to move on from the site, soon finding the trail and within a few minutes of following it ending up right in the parking lot just outside. There was a Saad parked nearby, but all Claire was concerned with was Luciana. The chrome motorcycle, last year’s model of Suzuki Boulevard, sat patiently waiting in its spot she had left it last night before meeting up with Thanatos. Almost unconsciously Claire couldn’t help but pat the challis of her ‘metal horse’ as she got near, retrieving the helmet before mounting up to return home.

Luciana was fast, but Claire was still constricted by inconvenient things like ‘speed limits’ and ‘public safety’. It was definitely at least the afternoon when she finally rolled up to Primrose Terrace, and Thanatos would likely be pleased with the way his rider almost ditched Luciana as soon as she could to venture into the house, immediately making a bee line for the kitchen.

Awful lot of people today.

“Afternoon!” The Dullahan called out in a cheerful voice that matched her wide grin even as she single mindedly went toward the kitchen. Claire barely paid attention to anyone before immediately breaking into the fridge to grab an apple, biting into it and raising up. Slowly the images of the others she passed filtered into her mind. People crowded in the lounge, one of the new residents’s head soaked in the kitchen and smelling of cleaning agent, and if she recalled Marie looked ready to murder someone.

Claire’s chewing slowed and she backed up to the doorway of the kitchen, glancing down the hall and back in, repeating the motion several times. Even she could see the chaos that had exploded. She swore bodyguards couldn’t have a night off without everything getting flipped on its head.

“So… what warzone happened here?”

After Marie briefly explained the situation Joseph quietly nodded in acceptance. The idea of having to personally bodyguard someone seemed slightly excessive up until now. 'Does this happen often? I just got here two days ago, and people are already hurt.' The thought pondered in his mind, but he felt that maybe it was just a coincidence, even more so for the people who just seem to be arriving today.

Once he quietly found a chair to sit down in, he grabbed a small peace of wood in his pocket and started to chew on it. Though it wasn't exactly the most filling substance for him to eat, it was enough to prevent him from going into shock due to lack of food.

As he was finishing eating, more people slowly entered the room, as if he was at a small gathering and the guest had just started to arrive. Two of the other tenants asked a similar question to his, and to avoid Marie having to repeat herself he decided to fill them in. "From what I understand two people were indeed attacked, and now they want to discuss the lack of personal bodyguards." He then took one last bite out of the wood before it disappeared into his mouth.

"So, if we are going discuss bodyguards we might as well start now it seems." He looked around, and noticed that the room was mostly filled. "Unless there is a better place to discuss this, or if you guys would rather discuss this with more people." Personally Joseph felt that it was better to let this matter resolve itself sooner rather than latter, but he knew ultimately it wasn't his choice to make.

Yuki looked up at the gate, leading into the complex. It was... Pretty. High class. It gave her a feeling of relief, and at the same time it almost seemed like the building and it's grounds were... Compensating for something. Humanity, perhaps? She took a breath in, trying to act confident, and took her first steps into the complex grounds. This wasn't so bad... I'm sure the people who live here are... Nice. she thought to herself. After all, this is where the descendants came to get away from the pure-bloods, she had heard. Not that she knew what any of that meant, but "getting away" from things was something she liked. To get away from society, live quietly in a place where she could relax. I'm sure it's fine... I'm sure it's fine... she repeated to herself in a whisper as she continued toward the door, and opened it. Stepping inside for the first time, with just a single backpack on her person, she looked around, awed. It was so... Modern. So flashy. Still she had expected it to be super-modern, seeing as she had lived most of her life in a very old mansion, dating back hundreds of years. That was retro, compared to this, but this building still had some retro elements, like the grandfather cloth, the wooden walls and the bookshelves. It made her feel at home already.

Then her ears jerked back. Voices. She hadn't noticed because she was so entranced by taking in her surroundings. At that same moment, all the smells became evident to her aswell. Multiple supernatural beings made themselves appearant to her just by smelling them. She looked around, and took a few steps into the lobby and realized, there stood a man already, soaked. Odd... she thought. She hadn't noticed any rain. He had black medium-length hair that waved down his neck, and he wore what she considered a gentleman's attire. Was he staff? "Excuse me..." she said shyly, trying to get his attention. "Do you work here? I'm... Newly arrived. I'm Yuki." she continued, fighting back the burning sensation that crept up on her face. She knew that if she blushed, it would show right away on her sheeks, since her white hair and natural skin tone is quite a contrast to red. Needless to say, she couldn't fight it back and there stood a girl now crimson-sheeked, almost hiding in her oversized sweater.