[IC] WitchBlood

---

---

_{「 O P : H A N A N I A M E W O , K I M I N I U T A W O ~ T H E B I N A R Y | E D : I N O C H I N I K I R A W A R E T E I R U ~ M A F U M A F U 」}

1 X Marks the Kill - Link

Synopsis

On the evening of their final trial, a group of Witches are sent to exterminate their first Vampire. Success will see them become full members of Black Babel; failure will assuredly result in their deaths. Like it or not, this is the life of a Witch. Welcome to the 176th.

Chapters

[Blu]

---

---

Synopsis

On the evening of their final trial, a group of Witches are sent to exterminate their first Vampire. Success will see them become full members of Black Babel; failure will assuredly result in their deaths. Like it or not, this is the life of a Witch. Welcome to the 176th.

I like cloudy days. A young man wearing a high school uniform walks down a suburban street in Tokyo. A veil of grey and ash hang overhead, painting the city in monochromatic tones. The young man adjusts his headphones; lightly audible noise leaks into the world beyond its scope. I like the silence. The stillness of it. Life, itself, marching to a different tune... The streets are quieter than usual. He soon passes a group of people unnoticed. Minding their own business, they are oblivious to him. There is an unseen perspective only appreciable on days like this. Not long after, he finds himself in a dark alley, devoid of any other presence.

The soliloquy of one who walks gently...

He removes something from his back pocket and stares at it in his hand. A bronze, hexagonal badge, just slightly smaller than one's palm. It is inscribed with the initials 'B.B.' in bold letters and, underneath that, are the etchings of two crossed brooms. The young man delicately tosses the badge onto the ground then lifts his head toward the sky. Two crimson Shoji-screen doors float horizontally in the air above him. As each door slides open simultaneously, the young man is forcibly pulled upward, along with the badge on the ground.

He is plunged into a dark, upside down ocean that seems to stretch to infinite proportions. There is no panic in his eyes or behavior; he seems perfectly calm as if he has experienced this sensation many times over. This experience lasts for less than a minute before the boy is pulled through to the other side. Standing upright, he finds himself in Other-Tokyo—land of the unseen.

Along with a populace of seemingly normal people, strange creatures of varying sizes known simply as Daemons walk among the familiar-looking streets. One behemoth of a Daemon with dark fur and metal pylons sticking out of its back is being fed by a pair of individuals in black uniforms. It shows its contentment by letting out a spark of electricity from its protrusions.

But that's enough sightseeing for now, the young man has business to attend to. Sometime later, the young man arrives at the entrance of Black Babel: the organization of the Witches. He's now dressed in the same black uniform as was seen earlier. He, himself, is a Witch of this institute. "Ahh, you're such a glutton! I told you the next feeding time is in an hour. Do you realize how long it takes to prepare that much food?!" another young man in the same outfit chastises a colossal-class Daemon with long, thin metal teeth in the shape of a gate. "Hmm," he looks behind him, "oh Yuta, it's you. Preparing for tonight?"

"Yeah. I have to meet up with the rest of my squad." Yuta tells the gatekeeper.

"Good luck with all of that and, uhh, try not to get yourself killed, huh? Okay, stop pouting and open up!" the gatekeeper tells the gargantuan Daemon who swiftly complies. Its teeth retract into its skull, opening up passage for the young Witch. As Yuta enters, he pets the side of the Daemon's presumable mouth. "Good boy." Upon entry, Yuta is greeted by the sight of a huge plaza filled with Witches in uniform either walking or flying in the sky with brooms. 'Welcome to Black Babel' says a digital screen on a nearby wall that strangely has two eyestalks jutting out of its sides.

---

@Ghost32 @OwO @Sylph de Graaf @This Girlie @Rune_Alchemist

[OwO]

"Ojou-sama! You're going to be late!"

"Shaddup!"

With a swift stomp, the golden koi had been shut up. Only a breathy 'guh' escaped his fish lips as the air forced itself out of his body. Other-Tokyo always had a sort of dirty vibe to it. With practically everything made out of living beings, their bodies, or the things they produced, nothing felt sterile. The cold concrete and warmth of LED lights that covered real Tokyo was much easier to stomach. But even for the seediness that coated the especially unsavoury areas of Other-Tokyo, the ramen shop Sae found herself in was on a new level. To call it filthy was an understatement. Not a single other restaurant could compare to the hazard the shop posed to its customers. Despite this, Sae often ate inside. Why?

Because it had good ramen.

Even with the shoji walls formed from bone and thin-stretched leather, the flooring worn down to the point where walking became difficult, the seats uneven with cushioning falling out, and dried oil splashes coating every surface imaginable, the ramen they served was delicious. Nothing in real Tokyo compared to it. Sae would often buy the largest bowl possible. The shop would often oblige her desires, piling on the noodles and toppings until they formed a mound that extended above the bowl.

"Please, ojou-sama. At least have a light meal instead!" The fish pleaded.

Another stomp met Ryūjin's stomach. "If I'm ever doin' something, I'm goin' all out," came Sae's reply, placed between her self-stuffing of noodles. "And 'sides, I gotta carry your heavy ass. Need the strength."

Ryūjin's face grimaced about as much as a fish could. His pride was shattered.

As the last of the noodles and toppings had been devoured, she upturned the bowl and drank as much broth as she could in a massive sip. With a deep exhale, she got her fill. She left the bowl on the counter and turned to the chef. With a quick bow from Sae, the chef bowed back. With one hand, Sae grabbed her sword. With the other, the golden fish was slung and held on her shoulder. Now, she just had to get to Black Babel plaza to meet with the people in her squad. Big night, after all.

Sae never liked the gate daemons. They were docile, but the pressing fear of one of its teeth coming back down as she went through was always there. As such, she always closed her eyes and walked through one as fast as possible. Strange thing to be afraid of, especially for a witch. There she would be, fighting against the vampire menace, and she's still afraid of gates. Well, part of it might have been that she could slash, smash, and trash a vampire. Couldn't really cut up a gate without getting in trouble. She had the same issue with the security gates at shops in real Tokyo. Closed her eyes and sped through those, too. That one was just something from her childhood that she carried with her, though. A bad habit.

Thankfully, she managed to spot the first member of the squad. Well, probably. She knew what he looked like. Issue was, he wasn't exactly a landmark. The rest of the squad was considerably more unique in appearance. There was dirty eyepatch, pale goth, abs undercut, and the blue beauty. The only one she could quickly spot was someone who'd get credited in a movie as 'high school student #7'. Not exactly someone who could command their presence. In comparison, despite Sae's short stature, her unique hair colour and the fact she held a large golden koi on her shoulder made her pretty easy to pick out in a crowd.

"Yo. Tsukiboshi?" She asked up him up front.

[Rune_Alchemist]

@OwO@Blu

---

"There we go...nice and healthy." A gentle, pale hand brushed lightly against a the green underside of a large flytrap looking plant. Its head swiveled to face the girl addressing it, a fresh coating of fertilizer and water dusting the ground beneath it. The disproportionately large 'head' of the plant wobbled back and forth slightly, seemingly tilting its head in an inquisitive manner as Mitsumi finished wiping off its body. "Mhm, I think that should do it-Gweh?!" Suddenly, the plant opened its mouth, a large human tongue reaching out and giving the girl a full-body lick with it. "Okay okay, I get it! You're welcome! Really!"

Taking care of these plants was a pain sometimes, but their beauty and usefulness was completely worth it.

The massive plant retreated back to its natural position, becoming seemingly nothing more than a stationary, motionless, plant. The rest of the garden soon joined it, the soil and roots returning to quiet silence. Ah, she could spend all day here, just doing nothing else, but she had already decided she couldn't do that, even if she wanted too.

"Towel?"

"Ah, Vanita." Mitsumi walked away from the garden's edge, having finished most of her routine. She might have been attending Black Babel, but taking care of the families garden in their estate was something she was partly responsible for. "Thank you. And where have you been this morning, hmm? Shirking work as usual?" She pulled the towel off of the serpents back, starting to lightly dry herself. Hm, she'd need a shower.

"Hmph, I was doing some sunbathing. My petals were starting to wilt a bit. Stress, I imagine."

"Fufu, is that so? For someone whose name comes from the Latin word for Vanity, you certainly are more suited towards indolence."
"I am offended." The serpent hissed. "The great -me- is always working hard."

"Of course, of course." Mitsumi replied with a light chuckle, placing a hand on her hip, not too convinced of her familiars whereabouts. "Well, no matter. Vanita, is my uniform ready?"

"Indeed. Though I still can't possibly fathom the logic of joining the Xcursion regiment." The serpent sighed almost reminding her of an exasperated old man.

"Is it really that hard to understand?" She responded nonchalantly, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Well, it doesn't matter. Stay here if you don't want to come along, my indolent little serpent."

"Th-that's not what I meant!" Vanita hastily replied. "And do you have any idea what your parents would do to me if I let anything happen to you?"

"Then stop complaining, and get ready." She could hear Vanita internally bashing his head against a wall.

Not long after, a single witch had risen from the air. They rose from the estate, higher and higher until they were above most of the buildings in Other-Tokyo. Ah, such a wonderful, whimsical sight. She loved it. The Daemons, smells, everything. Compared to normal Tokyo, this place was an absolute circus, and she loved every second of it. Vanita was wrapped tightly in his usual perch, head resting on her shoulder, a single coil wrapped around her neck with his tail dangling off her back.

Still...as much as she'd love to hang around here, she had to get to Babel. She gripped her broom with both hands...doing a nose dive right for the gates. She could almost hear Vanita internally screaming as some of his petals were ripped off from the sheer speed. Coupled with the rather abrupt halting at the gate, he probably would chastise her later. She gave the gate keeper a wave, quickly being allowed in.

"Now then...where would they be?" Mitsumi unsummoned her broom, taking in a few of the sights. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to pick out who her teammates were supposed to be in this crowd. A rough looking girl and a rather forgettable looking highschool kid. "Ah...that's probably them. Do try and be nice, Vanita." The serpent didn't respond, merely stared at the two with a small glare as she approached.

"And you must be Saejima-san." Mitsumi gave the two of them a friendly smile. "Shinkai Mitsumi, if there was any confusion." She said, as if she should have been recognized upon sight.

[Ghost32]

Uda Kohei

Rank-C, Physical State-Healthy, Mental State-Stable, Emotional State-Anxious and Excited

riiing riiing

the sound could be heard throughout the old mansion in which the alarm clock was going off in. The sound could even be heard in the library where a young man stirred and eventually woke up. " Lucifer! Where is the clock! " he called out. A raven flew down from the old mansions rafters and landed in front of the boy " I am sorry Koh but you told me you wanted to search for the device as a way to wake up. " the raven said. Koh nodded soberly then stood up and began to search for the alarm clock.

Searching the mansion took half an hour but eventually Koh found the clock and shut it off. Now fully awake he looked at the time " An hour early good" he said to himself and began to get ready. First Koh took a shower having to push Lucifer out of the bathroom, some places his familiar just couldn't follow. After the shower Koh did the usual morning routine of a person , brush teeth, floss and deodorant. After this though his morning routine veered from the natural path, walking to his room koh grabbed articles of clothing from his closet and a few more off his nightstand. He then began to get dressed putting on the uniforms slacks and then a black button up shirt and a grey tie.

" Is there a reason you dress nice? The vampires will not care" Lucifer said lazily looking at Koh.

" Of course dad always said look your best and I just like dressing nice" he said to the raven who just gave a throaty croak then flew out of his room. After fixing the tie Koh put on the jacket of his uniform and buttoned it up. He then grabbed his face mask, didn't want any vampires knowing his identity and put the familiar cloth over his mouth and nose tucking the excess into his shirt. Koh finally grabbed his eye patch fastening it over his right eye and grabbed his bag.

Whistling for Lucifer he walked out of his family mansion and locked the door. " There nice and safe" he muttered to himself. Lucifer just shook its head knowing the mansion also had wards, but it was just one of those things his Witch insisted on. After making sure the house was locked up Koh summoned his broomstick and began to ride it surfer style to Black Babel Academy.

Upon seeing the academy in the distance Koh descended on his broom and once reaching a safe height jumped down onto the ground. He then unsummoned his broom and began to walk the rest of the way to the academy. Getting close Koh saw someone dive bomb on their broom before unsommoning it and walk through the gates. Must be a team member he thought as for all he knew no one else was going to be at the academy tonight.

Walking to the gates Koh nodded his head at the gate keeper and watched as the teeth opened up. It was interesting how they used Daemons for most of their everyday life billboards could be a Daemon even traveling could be used by Daemon. Koh thought about this for a little bit until the teeth had fully retracted. Thanking the gatekeeper and his daemon Koh walked through the things mouth out into a courtyard where he saw three other Witches. Walking up to the group he made sure Lucifer was close by before straightening his tie.

" Hello I am Uda Kohei of the Uda family but you may call me Koh and this is my Familiar Lucifer" Koh said introducing himself to the group as Lucifer just looked at the other Witches.

[This Girlie]

---

---

Rigid and tense was her pose as she sat on the damp bench. Eyes were shut tight, dark eyebrows knit together, forming a scowl made of frustration, concentration and pure old fashioned stubbornness. There was nothing wrong with her wrist and yet she still grabbed and massaged at it as if there really was some pain and trauma there. But no, the problem was not with her wrist but with the searing pulses that ran rampant through her head.

But for only a momentary respite, the pulses ceased and she allowed herself this moment to towel off her short blue hair. The sides had been recently shorn and she afforded a moment to gently stroke there, smiling as she always did at the bristly yet satisfying feel as she ran her fingertips past her ears. Both hands met behind her head and she interlocked fingers there and a deep breath she took. Blue eyes snapped open and she stared at the tan skinned teen staring right back at her in the mirror. "I'm a fighter. I'm a healer. I'm a friend... but I am not a killer--"

Once more she groaned, tossing herself forward, elbows on knees, hands clutching at her face. The pulses sparked anew and burned red streaks past her eyes and into her brain. Another yelp she gave out as she spilled to the floor, writhing about until she fell upon her side, breathing ragged between sobs. For a few minutes more she lay there. When Ayami found her, the teen gasped as she saw Kokoro kneeling down still wrapped in her white towel, leaning forward, forehead kissing the moisture of the white tiles, long muscular arms stretched out with palms up.

"Koko-chan..!" Ayami tossed her gym bag aside and slid to the floor beside her best friend, "are you alright...?! Are you? Say something-- oh no...! Your hand is bleeding again! Kokoro! Your hand is--"

Kokoro rolled back slowly like a snake until she found herself in a rested and straight back kneeling position. She held that same wrist as she had earlier but she was not massaging it now. No, she was merely holding it now and not trying to stop it from sending telepathic pulses to her brain. Blue eyes reflected and glinted with a red glow that Ayami just could not see. Nor could Ayami see the wafting and wavering energy pulse away from Koko's hand. Ayami saw what looked like a cut in the shape of a crescent moon, but Koko saw it for what it really was. The sender of the telepathic red pulses. It was her other Eye. Her Daemon.

"Ayami... Yami-chan, it is okay. For this is not blood," said Kokoro in a tone of voice that Ayami did not recognize, "no, this is my birth right..."

The half-Japanese girl rose to her full height and towered over her friend but not once did she look at Ayami; in fact she did not even open her eyes. "Please miss me when I am gone. But don't cry until we are dancing together in our dreams."

"Wait. What? Kokoro, but where are you going? I don't understand--"

The tall, muscular teen walked on and turned around the corner into the next aisle of lockers, "It's not blood, Yami-chan. It is my birth-right and I am going to answer to it." Ayami did not recognize the voice from behind the wall of lockers but this really and truly was the voice of her friend; the Other-Kokoro, "My head doesn't hurt anymore..."

When Kokoro Yamato-Smithe opened her eyes next, they were the colour of an ancient glowing red star, staring into the Otherness of it all.

When Ayami got to her feet and scrambled around the corner to retrieve her best friend from the next aisle down, there was no one there.

There was only the damp white towel and a silver herringbone chain, naked without the charm Ayami had given her best friend when they first met.

~~~

The deep guttural and chuffing sound roared from high above, the sound rumbling like encroaching thunder over Other Tokyo. And finally, the tall, muscular Witch addressed the glowing red tattoo upon her hand.

{{Hey, Rei? It's cool... I won't try to 'massage out' your telepathic messages to me anymore. 'Cuz, ya know... 'EYE' still love you too...}} Red tinted eyes of the Witch rolled behind goggles, but there. She finally responded telepathically to let her Daemon know that she was over her little spat with her them. And rest assured they knew; Rei loved using that pun to death.

From beneath her fancy glove, the glowing red tattoo on the palm of her hand sprouted into crimson fiery light and the ghostly, volleyball-sized eye that was Rei, flew out and snuggled against the red-eyed witch piloting the double thruster, onyx handled broom.

{{You know, I'm still not a killer, Miss-Daemon-sir...}}

{{No, Miss Witch. You are not...

...Not yet.}}

~~~

In what amounted to a broom-rider 'skidding to a halt,' Koko finally touched ground, kicked a leg up and over the onyx handle, as she stood, her other leg heel-kicked up her broom sending it up into the air spinning once, twice before a straight arm reached out and caught it by the shaft with one hand as the other held the brim of her cap. For a moment longer she held the pose then the broom puffed into red cinders and ash and reformed as a tattoo sprawling diagonally across her back.

The empty hand then reached for her goggles then snapped them above the brim of her cap which she then tipped at a cute young witch before winking a red eye at her then she spun away towards her destination, cloak flourishing like a sailfish leaping into the air then diving back into the water. She unzipped the enchanted leather mask at her face and left it hanging at her neck splayed out like another set of teeth neath her chin. With a practiced and proper strut, Koko made her way over to the group gathering up around an unremarkable looking young man. Koko, however, knew that he was far from unremarkable. In fact, even though she had received little info on them, she figured out that none of the 176th were even remotely close to being defined as unremarkable.

{{You always land like that and wink at a girl. Do those other girls think you are cool? Do you think you are cool? Is that why you do that?}}

{{Enough with the 'why's' Miss-Daemon-sir. Look sharp, look alive and look out. I think that is my squad...? Yeah, there's that Tsukiboshi guy...}}

A quick snap salute, a tip of the cap, a curt nod she gave to acknowledge them. Rei floated at shoulder level and did their volleyball-sized eyeball rendition of a curt, yet polite bow. With a stern look upon her face, Koko blurted out: "Yamato-Smithe Kokoro reporting for duty, sir!"

Then suddenly she broke her pose and pointed at Yuta's footwear, "You didn't shine your shoes! What a disgrace! He did not shine his shoes!!" Then just as suddenly she paused, frozen in the spot. "Made ya look..." A slow curly smile broke free from between her lips. A sly wink she tossed him.

"Hey, it's just a joke, Mister Witch!" exclaimed the tall Witch. Without thinking, she reached out with one gloved hand and pulled Yuta into a very forward, yet friendly hug. As soon as she realized just how forward... and awkward that hug was her grin faded and her eyes popped wide open. Both cheeks turned a nice heated shade of pink as she released the smaller teen. A long sideways step she took away from Yuta.

With one hand behind her back now and eyes lowered to the ground, she swept her other hand towards her red, glowing eyeball-shaped Daemon familiar, "Ahem. And this is Rei-san. They may not communicate with all of you vocally, only telepathically with your Daemon Familiars, but rest assured they respectfully greet you as well--"

{{Should I attempt to quickly hug the nearest Daemon next to me too? Or is that embarrassing? Your cheeks are red. Are you embarrassed? Is that why they are red?}}

{{Enough with the 'why's' Miss-Daemon-sir...}}

Koko just kept her eyes low and sighed.

[Bartimaeus]

Katsumi

Mentions: N/A
Location: Other-Tokyo Streets -> Black Babel Plaza

---

---

Katsumi had been waiting for this day for a long time. A long time indeed.

It felt like forever in her mind. All the training, training, and more training. She had to be ready for it. Right? Bah, of course she was ready. She was the latest-generation Black Dragon of the Nishimura family. If anyone was prepared for this day, it was her. At least that’s what she told herself. In all honesty, she didn’t know. In her family line one was normally assuredly prepared by her age, but her mother had...not been enthusiastic about continuing her training to its fullest. Katsumi didn’t know if it was right to blame her - but that was a matter to think about later, even if she had done so a hundred times over.

Now was the time to meet her new squad - and alongside them, prove that they were ready to become true Witches of Black Babel. This is why she was already walking the streets of Other-Tokyo. On the day-to-day, Katsumi lived in normal Tokyo, with her mother. It was a touchy subject with her - the vampire hunting - which is why they had an unspoken agreement that today would be a day of few words. In fact, the only exchange they’d made all day was their departing “I love you”s. Katsumi could’ve had a more thrilling conversation with the Black Babel gate. Which, speaking of...

The girl approached the gate as her right hand slipped into her pocket to retrieve her badge. Not that she needed it for entry - she was wearing the uniform and was a regular attendee - but it felt more professional that way. She flashed it towards the gatekeeper, who casually gestured her through the maw of a Daemon that served as the living gate to the Black Babel plaza. She stepped through, giving him a nod and a smile as her attention turned towards what was within.

It was fantastic every time. The many faces - all faces of her fellow Witches as they moved about, going along with their business. Be it studying, or training, or even preparing to go take a fight of their own - it felt great to be a part of it. There was meaning here. It was a part of her family, and had been for a long time. A slight content smile painted her face.

Her eyes scanned over the various witches in the plaza until they locked onto a group beginning to gather. As she laid her eyes on them she saw the faint bluish visage of her Daemon companion come into view and float airily in their direction.

Not a bad place to start, then. She thought to herself.

She followed her Daemon’s lead, strolling behind it until it stopped a few feet away from them, where she caught up to him as she watched a few of the Witches share a group hug. It seemed they were getting along pretty quickly already.

She cleared her throat playfully, letting a grin play across her lips.

“Hello there~ 176th, I’m guessing? I’m Nishimura Katsumi. It’s nice to meet you.”

[Blu]

---

Black Babel Plaza | Interactions: Everybody

---

It didn't take long before someone came up to greet Yuta. At the sound of his surname, Yuta turns around and sees a girl with pinkish red hair. She is a good four inches shorter than him, but her aura exudes that of a giant. "H-Hello. Kaguya-san?" he meekly asks. He and his future teammates were given pictures of each other prior to today, but he felt it polite to confirm her identity anyway. Soon, the two are joined by a Witch named Shinkai Mitsumi. She conducts herself with a sort of posh and confident demeanor. She seems like a reliable sort. Then there was Uda Kohei—the only other male member of the squad. He introduces himself as well as his Familiar, Lucifer. He's well-mannered and Yuta hopes they'll get along.

Soaring on in next is a tall, mature-looking Witch with a unique pair of googles on her cap. Not knowing what to make of her initially, Yuta feels a bit intimidated just looking at her. So when she points out that Yuta forgot to shine his shoes, he almost panics as he looks down to check. Obviously, it wouldn't make for a good first impression if he presented as a slob. "Oh I'm sorry, I-" His shoes are practically beaming. As it turns out, Kokoro was merely teasing. Then, she brought the team into a hug which caught Yuta by surprise. He didn't fight it, but he did blush. "She seems nice, if not a bit tough to keep up with." Yuta thinks in regards to her antics.

The final member of their team finally arrives. A young woman by the name of Katsumi Nishimura greets the group with a grin. It's difficult to get a read on her, but that grin seems to hide something about her. There's definitely more to her than she lets on. In any case, with everyone here, Yuta felt it appropriate to introduce himself since he didn't get a chance to before. "And I'm Yuta Tsukiboshi. I hope I'll prove myself dependable." He bows.

"Good, you're all here." A rich, deep voice of a man calls to them from nearby. Looking down, they see a black cat with red eyes that seem to stare right through you. "Witches of the 176th. Please, follow me." it says as it tail flicks back and forth.

"This is my Familiar, Nyx." Yuta clarifies.

"And a long-standing member of the order. I'll be acting as your temporary guide for tonight's mission while your new squad Captain flies in from London." the Daemon elaborates. Nyx is an unusual case for a Familiar, having joined Black Babel prior to his partnership with Yuta. In fact, he was once the Familiar of another Witch, or so he says.

"Where are we going?"

"The Scout assigned to our squad has the dossier for tonight's mission. It's best to plan our approach; learn about our target." Nyx continues to walk without looking back. He's quite the serious and focused type. After some time, the crew arrives at a cafe on site. A nice, little area for working Witches to relax and grab a refreshment or two. Unfortunately, it looks like their Scout is nowhere to be seen. Running late perhaps. Nyx leaps onto a table and looks around, before grooming his right paw.

"Maybe we should grab some coffee while we wait?" Yuta proposes to the group. "Nyx, do you want anything?"

"No." Nyx's ears then perked up a little. "...Perhaps some milk, if they have it."

[Rune_Alchemist]

Interactions with: Everyone
Black Babel Plaza

---

"Well, nice to see everyone's on time." A small smile crept across Mitsumi's lips as the others soon converged on the spot. Thankfully, Kokoro didn't deem it necessary to give her a hug. Vanita might have had something to say about that, and she wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with his silliness. "Vanita might have gotten a little irritable if we took to long.A pleasure to meet all of you, but lets not waste time, hm?" She gave the serpent an affectionate pat on the head, following after Nyx and Yuta.

So this was their squad, hm. Well, at least they all seemed mostly reliable in some manner. Yuta might have been somewhat plain, but such types could often be surprising, according to Vanita anyways. She was a little wary of Kokoro, not particularly fond of the overly touchy types, but she seemed the confident and boisterous sort at least. Really, all of them seemed some levels of competent. Well, supposing there were no surprises then, this could prove easy enough.

Soon, they had arrived at their supposed destination with no scout in sight.

"Coffee, hmm..." Mitsumi decided the best place to be was taking a seat at the same table Nyx was sitting at. "Really, I don't see how you people drink that stuff. But I'm more of a fan of tea, myself." Hmm, she supposed they had to wait now though? How boring. Why were they late anyways? She wasn't a fan of waiting around doing nothing. "So, while we wait, maybe we should introduce ourselves properly? Or are you all the silent broody types, despite some of you being cute?" She chuckled lightly, deciding not to exactly mention who that was.

As she talked, she grabbed Vanita's tail gently, before waggling the leafy appendage in front of Nyx like a cat toy.

[OwO]

The arrivals of the others was heralded by the most basic of pleasantries from Sae. To the first to arrive after her, Sae gave a simple 'yo'. She didn't recognize the name or the face. Not that it was meant to be a slight of any kind, though. Pretty much every single face Sae could remember was that of an outcast. Mitsumi looked too prim and proper for Saw to know who she was.

The next one came with a mouthful of an introduction. Was he nervous or just born that way? Didn't really matter to Sae. His attire was overdone, but wasn't exactly out of place at Black Babel. Really, he wasn't the strangest person she saw all day. Hell, he was pretty normal by witch standards.

After that, the blue haired girl arrived with a prank and a hug. Yuta accepted it with hesitance, but he didn't fight back. Had she tried to hug Sae, she'd be met with a swift tiger drop. She was part American, was she? Not that Sae cared enough to ask, but a name like Smithe had to come from either a naval base or an expat. She did end up being some kind of embarrassed after hugging Yuta like that. Probably because her American sensibilities didn't mesh with the Japanese youth. At least, maybe? Sae didn't knew that Americans were brash (at least, that's what the family told her), but did they hug each other as a greeting?

The last to arrive came with a playful grin and a simple introduction. Not much that Sae could say about her, save for the fact that she felt like the type of person who'd also have ink on them.

"Oi oi..." Came Sae's instant response to being called Kaguya. "Who're ya ta me by my given name, eh?" While she wasn't entirely angry about being called Sae, she wasn't happy about it either. More peeved off, if anything. Besides a confrontational jab with the butt of her sheathed katana, she didn't press the issue further.

With the cat announcing that he'd be guiding them, he unintentionally dodged a bullet. For someone like Sae, having a simple cat, even if it was an experienced daemon, as her leader would have been too embarrassing for her. She'd probably get into an argument about it. With the words of temporary and guide, she wouldn't have to live with the shame of being lead by a cat. Well, that was assuming that the new squad captain flying in was not a cat. In other words, she followed that cat.

When they all reached the cafe, Yuta had the idea of getting coffee. It was something that Sae, however, was already getting. The second they arrived, Sae was already at the counter, ordering a simple black coffee. With cup in hand, she joined Nyx and Mitsumi at the table they were at. While Mitsumi was talking about everyone properly introducing themselves, Sae had taken a deep breath and took a quick swig of the coffee, too fast to taste it. The hot coffee burned her tongue, though she didn't show it.

"Saejima Kaguya. Just go by Sae, though. Saejima's what my father goes by."

[This Girlie]

---

---

{{Whew. Well, luckily nobody made a fuss over my little 'incident...'}}

{{Well, there is still time for you to make more incidents, Miss Witch...}}

Kokoro perked up and raised an eyebrow at Rei. Soon enough, her lips pursed together and she narrowed her eyes at her Familiar, {{Yeah, thanks for the inspiring words and your vote of confidence in me, Rei. Thanks a looooot...}}

{{You are welcome, Miss Witch.}}

{{I was being sarcastic...}}

{{Oh. Well then. I was not.}}

The tall witch rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Anyone wanna swap Daemons...?" mumbled Kokoro beneath her breath to no one in particular, "mine is completely rekt and in a state of perpetual troll-mode..."

{{I am not a Troll. I am an Eyeball.}}

Koko smacked her forehead and groaned, {{My gosh, Rei... Sarcasm...! Please look it up! Learn it...!}}

{{Of course. But I learned something just now, Miss Witch. Others are looking at you strangely because you are making faces and doing gestures without speaking. I believe you have made your next 'incident.'}}

Koko just kept her eyes low and sighed.

~~~

As they were seated, Koko made sure to remove her cap, but made doubly sure to sit away from Tsukiboshi. It was a decision made from pure embarrassment but she still made eye contact with him when offered a drink. A polite nod she gave in response the coffee, hands respectfully tucked neatly at her lap. Koko was on a strict diet that did not allow for high caffeinated drinks, but she was taught never to turn down the first drink offered to her; weird family traditions. That, however, did not mean that she had to drink the whole thing. But still out of respect she would down it; she had heard about his mom and Koko's own mom had strictly said to watch over this guy: Tsukiboshi, the Heartbeat.

The others, she gave a cursory once over, while their nicknames she had adopted for them danced about in her head. A pleasant look held on her face, keeping her calm and hands definitely clasped together to ensure she did not accidentally reach out and touch someone; damn her dad's side for being so forward.

Nishimura, the Glinting Eyes. She saw this other girl as a rough and tumble type that seemed to have a cunning look hiding within her pretty playful eyes. This girl's family she had absolutely heard about from her mom. Dragon-something-or-other types? Well, she would find out. Koko could not help but get caught staring at Nishimura's eyes once more; they reminded her so much of someone she knew. Koko had smiled shyly and looked away, yet that smile still holding at her lips.

Uda, the Magic-Patch Kid. Never seen the patch but definitely heard about him. Yes, another one that came from a strong and prominent bloodline. It was funny how she always tried to picture how someone would be by their reputation and pic, yet upon meeting him, she totally got his stoic and well-read vibe. Defo complete opposite of Koko. Should be fun...

Shinkai, the Pristine. Wow. This girl could have come straight out of a picture on a brochure for Black Babel. She was so neatly done up and cleaned up that Koko could not help but stare at her own reflection to see if she herself looked half as presentable. This girl came from money, lots of it, but that's all Koko could remember about her; she was too busy staring at the pic of the other girl while her mom had droned on with her lecture about the others.

Saejima, the Fiery Edge. Oh her. This was the one of whom she was most wary and apprehensive about. Not so much here in Other-Tokyo but out there in normal Tokyo; this other girl's family was neck deep in criminal activities... so she had been told. But it was as her dad always said; put all worries aside and concentrate on taking care of the others in your Squad regardless of personal bias.

Upon hearing the words of her father in her head, Koko sat up properly and nodded. Yet still when Sae had prodded Yuta with her sheathed blade, Koko did shift uncomfortably in her seat and clasped her hands tightly together. And her hands gripped even tighter when Nyx spoke up about the Squad. It was not the fact that Yuta's Familiar took charge (a Daemon being an active leader head was actually kind of cool) but the fact that there was to be a 'surprise' Squad Leader, who was not yet introduced, did not sit well with her. But regardless, she was in no position to oppose that decision, let alone complain about it. And so she just nodded at Mitsumi's suggestion to introduce themselves.

A polite nod, she gave after Sae's intro, then she stood and cleared her throat, "Yamato-Smithe Kokoro. Pleased to meet you."

A bow, and then of course: "My name is hyphenated because my parents decided to follow a North American tradition that represents both families. But most people just kindly call me by my father's name; Smithe."

To be honest, Koko did not mind being called by her father's name only because she found the Japanese pronunciation rather cute: "Sumisu."

[Bartimaeus]

Katsumi

Mentions: N/A
Location: Black Babel Plaza -> Other-Tokyo Café

---

---

Katsumi’s suspicions were quickly confirmed amongst the greetings as the members mingled and made brief introductions. The girl gave each of them a casual glance over. Tsukiboshi, Saejima, Smithe, Uda, Shinkai, their guide-cat- wait, guide-cat? Katsumi took a double-take as the feline announced its request for the freshly-gathered squad to follow it. It was a little odd that they were being led by a Daemon and not their squad Captain, but Kat always was one to keep an open mind.

It wasn’t long though before the creature in front of them explained the predicament. Hmm, a captain from London, was it? Exotic. Katsumi followed along with the group as the cat led them toward an apparent rendezvous point, half-covering a wide smirk with her hand at the antics of her new squad-mates. This was gonna be fun.

Soon enough the crew would reach their destination - though it appeared their contact had yet to arrive. Good. Maybe they could learn a little more about each other before jumping into what could only be described as a life-changing task. Katsumi crinkled her nose as they entered, the strong smell of coffee that permeated the air washing over her senses; she’d never liked coffee that much - likely because her sense of smell was so keen. She tried to ignore it even as her eyes watered a bit.

Her legs carried her to the counter behind Saejima as the rest of the group took places at a nearby table. She ordered herself a small cup of Amazake, and another cup of Sobacha tea. She deposited her money onto the counter and turned back to the others with a beverage in each hand, the Amazake brought up to her lips for a sip as she rejoined them. She gently set the Sobacha in front of the blue-haired Mitsumi before moving around the table to an empty seat across and taking it as the others spoke. She leaned back lazily, though her eyes were set on each of them as they spoke, her hands performing the occasional movement of bringing her cup to her lips. It was at least helping to block out some of the pungent coffee-smell.

She listened intently as Saejima and Kokoro introduced themselves, giving an acknowledging nod as each one finished in turn. When it came around to her turn she rested her beverage on the table and gave another friendly smile, revealing a slightly elongated canine tooth more akin to that of a vampire than a human.

“Katsumi.” She said simply. “Though some call me 'The Nishimura Black Dragon'. You lot may call me whatever you fancy~” She continued with a wink.

[Ghost32]

Uda Kohei

Rank-C, Physical State-Healthy, Mental State-Stable, Emotional State-Anxious and Excited, Interactions-everyone

"Cool Cat"

Koh had muttered when the boy named Yuta's familiar showed up. This comment caused a slight nip on the ear from Lucifer as the familiar is the jealous type. As he followed the cat he thought about the other members of his squad. Hmm the cats owner Yuta? Yes Yuta, he seems nice though a bit meek hopefully he has what it takes to kill vampires. The girl with the katana she seems a bit brash hopefully she can follow a plan. The short blue headed girl she is...too playful she needs to be serious. Tall muscular blue headed girl she's ok but she is also a bit too playful. The girl with the eye covered by her hair and tattoos and seems ok so far. as he thought these things Koh also half grumbled to himself.

Suddenly Koh looked up as he heard the cat mention that they've arrived. Then the cat mentioned the scout was late. " how is a scout late on a important mission are none of these witches serious? " he muttered disappointedly to Lucifer. Lucifer looked at Koh and shook his head " ninety nine point nine percent of people aren't as serious as you wait no make that one hundred " Lucifer said back to him making a squawking laughter sound. Koh shook his head then studied the place they were at a...cafe, yes he had read about these when homeschooling himself.

Choosing a seat near the squad Koh took off his cloak, face covering and Black Babel jacket laying them neatly on the back of the chair. He then straightened his tie and walked to the counter of the Cafe. uhhh I didn't cover this in self homeschooling he thought as he awkwardly ordered a Mint and chip flavored coffee. Then for about five minutes Koh struggled to use his card to pay for the drink. " D-Do I leave it there? Wait take the card out? Wait hold on. " it was a fiasco. After finally paying Koh gave a slight bow and apologized for the inconvenience of dealing with Koh's cluelessness. He then walked back to his seat and sat down sipping on his coffee then straightening his tie once again before putting his bag in his lap.

Koh then listened to everyone speak and didn't say anything when two girls introduced themselves flirtatiously then gave a nod of approval at Sumisu for the seriousness of her introduction and mentally rated Sae's introduction a five out of ten for being brash. " Hello like I said before I am Uda Kohei of the Uda family but you may call me Koh and I'm looking forward to working with you all" he said then sipped on his coffee. " Don't worry he's not serious all the time he drools in his sleep " Lucifer said. Koh quickly looked at his familiar " how dare you-I do not!... " their arguing faded as Koh walked to the counter for another coffee.

After Koh had gotten his coffee and finished arguing he sighed. " Hmm I don't like this scout being late go look for him" he said to Lucifer and cast his Demonic sight spell. " Daemonium visus" he mutters and a symbol of an eye lights up for a second on his eyepatch. Once the spell is done and Koh can see what Lucifer sees through the eye patch he sends him to look for the scout and returns to the table and sits down. " Sorry about that Lucifer is never serious" he mutters and sips his coffee.