[IC] Chasers - Boundary of the Crimson Sky [remake]

[IncredibleBee]

"Hm. I guess you'd have to be rich in the first place, to major in philosophy." Vincent said, eyeing the mansion. If his info was good, the person living here would clue him in on the Efreet's history. Normally he'd be content to just shoot and slash it like everything else, but he was still upset it knew about him, and his sister. This knowledge kept Vincent awake all night.

The executioner's mask was hooked onto his belt, since he wasn't exterminating vermin. Moreover, he elected to come unarmed. He'd considered bringing a handgun, but it wasn't necessary for someone he intended to visit as a civilian. Besides, even his bare fists could rend enemies by themselves, and the drop system meant a fresh weapon was never far away.

A light in the window signaled a presence. Vincent approached the front door, and gave a loud knock with his callused fists.

[rechonq]

@KoL

Not sure what to do with Orihime, Kazuki began back for his place. He noticed her doll on the ground nearby and grabbed that for her as well. He didn't think it wise to take her to a hospital and have the humans freak out when she wasn't human. If Alexander was right, then taking her to the Dangeki would be dangerous as well. He didn't like leaving his bike, but even if it was stolen he would get a new one. His apartment wasn't to far off and he got there before too many people were out to wonder why he was carrying a girl through the streets.

He took her into his apartment and laid her on his bed. Her wounds didn't look too bad and he assumed she must have just passed out from exhaustion. He set her doll on the bed as well and left the room. He collapsed on his couch and after ten minutes remembered how much he hated sleeping on the couch. He rolled onto the floor and swiftly passed out.

The next morning he woke up under his coffee table. He rolled out and gave a hearty stretch. He went to check on Orihime and sure enough, she was still asleep. She had rolled over and moved, so she was ok, just tired. He decided to skip work since she was here. It's not like his bike job was that important anyways. He took a shower, ate breakfast, and messed around with his computer or played videogames most of the day.

It was beginning to get late again though and Miss Aria would be expecting them. He figured they could survive without him for a night. Chasers came and went all the time. He was wondering when this girl would wake up though. He wondered if Alexander was right too. If this girl was really dangerous, he may be needing to call miss Aria for help. "When is this girl going to wake up?"

[TheWendil]

~Aria~

---

Aria grunted in response to Ellie’s words, not one to flatter her familiar. Her hand snapped at the other girl’s tail instinct as she munched on doughnuts and sipped on bloody tea. She could probably put a name and a face to Ellie’s concern since she could sense the arrogant aura of the Cataloguer himself all the way from here. A golden fire hydrant was still a fire hydrant.

Wordlessly, Aria finished up her paperwork before quickly scribbling on some spare notes and handing them to Ellie. They were the other three missions for this night, marked so in neat, purple cursive. She figured it was best to let the Cataloguer come to them rather than waste her Chaser’s time in flushing him out. Knowing the brute, he would probably encounter one of her Chasers during a mission anyway so there was no need to exhaust themselves so.

-Someone is spray-painting graffiti all over the local schools. While this may at first seem like a simpler mission, the substance used for this provocative behavior has gotten any human within a ten mile radius dreadfully ill. Investigate the problem: Youkai Chasers are strongly encouraged.

-Rumors of strange phenomenon and ghastly sightings have been occurring at the abandoned toiletry factory; random floodings, objects moving on their own, etc. Most likely Youkai activity or perhaps interference from the Crimson Sky. It’s always best to make sure. I’ll give a special treat to the Chasers who take this mission due to its rather…crude location.

-Humans and Youkai alike have turned up missing in the Red Woods bordering Sonomachi City. The Red Woods has always been an unstable border between this world and the Crimson Sky: Chasers are to investigate while also being wary. Reports have come in detailing the appearance of an SSS-Class Youkai being responsible.

---

@GrafRoy Zeppeli, @Rune_Alchemist, @Ashifili, @rechonq, @Shisa, @Queue13, @McFazzer, @IncredibleBee, @SolisHeretic, @KoL, @Flamelord

[Shisa]

Once again, the doors to Dangeki burst open, and a chill wind heralded the presence of the greatest Chaser to ever live. Alice stepped through the door, her smile full of superiority and her belly full of baked goods. Today she would be prepared for whatever came her way, with three scones of speed, three pate a choux of power, and three tarts of toughness. Truly, she was unstoppable now, and bigger than ever.

"Kukuku~ it is I, the great and magnificent Alice! I have returned after a long and arduous night of righting wrongs and going toe-to-toe with the most powerful beings in the netherworld!"

And certainly she had! After slaying three Youkai assassins basically alone, she had gone on to right plenty of wrongs at the hot springs. The wrong of running out of soap in the bathing area, the wrong of Mr. Kaizuka stumbling into the girl's side of the springs again, and of course the wrong of a Dragon attacking Whiterun in superior Western RPG Skyrim!

Alice strutted purposefully over to where Aria was seated, and took a seat across from her.

"My sincerest apologies for not coming back last night, Aria. I found myself embroiled in conflict alongside a rogue Youkai hunter. He was a gigantic Westerner who used a lot of large weapons. By the time I was done, I had to go to bed. Even perfection like myself requires proper upkeep, you know."

Alice decided not to mention the fact that this Youkai hunter carried her back to her neighborhood while she screamed "stranger danger", as this would make her seem less than dignified. Besides, one really had to be there to understand the nuance behind the language and actions as they occurred. A third party told about the incident through oral presentation, thus, could not make an accurate assessment in this instance. In short, she probably seemed a lot cooler and more ladylike at the time than the story would suggest.

"Have you heard about this Youkai hunter, Aria? His name is Vincent."

[Flamelord]

Isotta rested comfortably in the cafe, seated at one of the tables that made up the seating for the establishment, with nothing but a glass of water in front of her. She had no particular hunger at the moment, nor thirst, so she was content enough to wait and merely observe events. That was her job after all, and she scanned those present with a keen eye, trying to ferret out any signs of mental instability beyond the norm. That was a part of her duty, and she would go about it without complaint.

As it stood, she didn't really have anything else to do at the moment. She wasn't a normal Chaser, so becoming involved in average and mundane affairs tended to be something that she ignored, unless it was a mission of particular note or an opponent of particular power. The nearing of the Cataloguer was definitely interesting, but she had yet to decide whether she would involve herself in that state of affairs. There could be an argument made either way, and she would make up her mind when the time came.

For now he waited for the current owner of the Cafe, to relate what had happened last night, as well as go about their usual meeting where they would discuss affairs that had happened recently and the like. Certainly she had nothing else in ind, so she merely listened in on ongoing conversations while waiting for certain people to arrive.

[KoL]

Chasers Boundary of the Crimson Sky

---

The Scarlet Sage, Reiko Asamiya

Vincent would find that neither the entrance gate nor door to Reiko's residence were locked. The Scarlet Sage had little to nothing to fear of the creatures that inhabited the forest and most people would never even find their way here, as the barriers that circled the house actively misdirected any unwanted guests.

"You may come in, visitor. Whoever you may be, it's clear that you have business with me." Reiko's voice came from the small study and meeting room right besides the entrance wall.

There, the Scarlet Sage waited, with her expression as impassive and calculating as ever as she regarded the hulking Youkai hunter with little to no interest. "You are here because of the Efreet, right? I can see traces of his Spiritual Power lingering to you... either way, take a seat", Reiko said as she gestured toward an antique looking armchair, being made of hardwood, it would be no problem sustaining Vincent's weight.

Independent of Vincent's decision of seating or not, Reiko would close the book she was reading before he came in and stare at his eyes while saying, "I would like to know what kind of knowledge you want from, of course, but before that, I believe introductions are due. As you might know, I'm Reiko Asamiya, known as Scarlet Sage for people like you. Now that I'm done introducing myself, I ask, who are you and what you want with a being as dangerous as the Efreet?" Reiko said before falling silent as she waited for Vincent's answer.

@IncredibleBee

• • •

The Puppeteer, Orihime Tokisada

"Hmm... mmm..." Orihime groaned as she slept, tossing and turning on Kazuki's in the most innocent way possible, her body the very testament of defenselessness. Certainly a man that would be so low as to keep on staring at a girl's face as she slept obliviously would end up gazing as well (even if involuntarily) on the other parts like her exposed thighs and breasts which were partially visible thanks to her dress' low cut.

Anyway, given enough time, Orihime finally began to wake up, "Huh? Where am I? It doesn't look like a cell at al-" She halted her self questioning when she noticed Kazuki nearby. "Wh- who are you?" Orihime tried to ask with a stern voice, a moment before a low grumble coming from her stomach made the heterochromic girl blush at how unintimidating she looked like.

"Hmm... well, can I..." Orihime stammered, "hmm... can I... have something to eat, please?" She asked quite bashfully, before finishing with, "Also, do you, hmm... know where I can find a place named Den... geki, no, Dangeki? I have to see a person named Aria, it's very important."

@rechonq

[IncredibleBee]

Vincent chose to remain standing, eyeing the girl up and down. She looked like a real shut-in. And bored, too. She'd have a better attitude if she went outside more, he decided.

It was surprising she could guess what he was here about. If she could sense "spiritual power", she must have been some manner of wizard. Vincent could guess that if monsters exist, they might too, though he wasn't sure to what extent and how common they were. Of course, it was also entirely likely that Ciel called her on the phone and scheduled an appointment. In either case, she probably knew at least a little about the Efreet, at least enough to save Vincent time tracking the thing down.

"My name is Vincent. And you're right. I want to kill it." he said matter-of-factly, nodding his head.
"Well... that's not entirely accurate, I suppose. Some of its lackeys came after me. It had knowledge about me. Personal knowledge I don't share with just anyone, and that pisses me off. I wanna know how it knows this. I wanna know who it works for, if anyone. I wanna know where it lives, how it acts, what it eats and where it sleeps. I wanna know what it cherishes and what puts it in pain. Then I wanna know how to kill it."

@KoL

[Ashifili]

Alright, yeah, he could do this. Taking in a deep breath and imagining the tears that would be shed if he left the nacho parfait untouched and discarded, Rui-Ling decided to stick with his creed of suffering so that others do not, and began to plow through the cheese-and-chips ice cream smorgasbord. His tongue was rioting against this nonsense, and his stomach was protesting about this bullshit, but nevertheless, the young immortal ate the whole thing, sighed deeply, and promised to himself that he will never try this again. Clearly, culinary experiments were meant for those with cast-iron stomachs, not the sensitive, neverchanging stomach of a teenager.

He suppressed a burp, looked around the shop once more, and was surprised to see that not many people were present at all. Outside of the always-lovely Alice, and a newish face that looked rather foreign, it appeared that the usual group of Chasers that gathered in the Dangeki Parlor Café weren’t present. Odd. Did something happen in their missions? Or were they still working on them?

Scratching the back of his neck, he relaxed for a bit longer, giving time for his stomach to settle from the odd combination of umami and sweetness that broiled within, before turning to the other missions that Aria had added on board. While, the additions were rather convenient missions for him, in terms of his set of abilities if nothing else, there was finally something that stood out.

A mission of proper difficulty for Rui-Ling: that of the investigation of the appearance of a SSS-Class Youkai. His silver hand flexed and clenched in anticipation of the challenges and the deaths, as the flaxen haired youth grinned. Chances are high that he was going to be heavily outgunned if an encounter happens, and chances are higher that this SSS-class youkai was also going to be female, but hey, it was always fun, fighting a Lunatic mode boss monster.

Getting off his ass and brushing a few stray crumbs from the front of his black jacket, Rui-Ling pulled the message off the board, and said, “I’ll be taking the Red Woods investigation then, Aria. This is just an investigation, right? Not an extermination?”

[rechonq]

As he was checking up on her again, she finally began to wake up. She was very cute, and blessed. Her dress made it hard not to look over her features as she slept. Her moans and movements were also alluring. Everything about her sleeping form was innocent and defenseless. Kazuki focused his attention on her face as she woke up.

She seemed pretty confused as she woke up, which was to be expected, but then she mentioned a cell before seeing Kazuki. She snapped at him demanding to know who he was just before her stomach began to grumble. "My name is Dara Kazuki."

After it was revealed how hungry she was, her demeanor changed a lot as she asked for something to eat. She also asked about the Dangeki and for Aria, which was a little alarming. "Yeah, come on out to the living room and I'll cook something real quick." He lead the way out to his living room and began cooking some pancakes. "So before I answer any of your other questions, I'm going to need to know some things about you. Who are you exactly? Why were you expecting to wake up in a cell, and how do you know about Dangeki and Aria?" Those were the only questions he could think to ask. He wasn't used to giving interrogations.

@KoL

[McFazzer]

Carver Jazz

Enjoying himself with a coffee that had too much sugar and a blueberry muffin, Carver read the paper. An odd thing for someone involved with the Crimson Sky to do, since he was rather separate from the day-to-day happenings of mundane society. Still, enjoying the puzzles and maybe seeing a used car he might like was usually enough for him to pick up a copy at least once a week.

Sipping merrily away in a quiet corner, Carver finally turned his attention to the new missions listed. Oh? I’m not going to go searching around an abandoned factory. I don’t deal in machinery, you need industry contacts to deal with that stuff. Plus the government gets edgy when pieces like that go missing.

Staring at the mission list for a while longer, Carver made his decision. “Alrighty then~! I’ll go have a shot at the mysterious graffiti. I can see a market for sickness inducing paint. Plus I might find some new symbols if that happens to be the cause” eyes almost dollar signs at the prospect of new possible symbols to incorporate into his products. Folding up his newspaper and smiling to the rest of the room Carver made a proposition

“Anyone else want to take and Art class at school~?”

[KoL]

Chasers Boundary of the Crimson Sky

---

The Scarlet Sage, Reiko Asamiya

"Those were not lackeys, Vincent, right? That was the Efreet himself, or better, his doppelgangers. You see, among his many obnoxious abilities, the Efreet has a rather peculiar power; he can create copies of himself, all of them as powerful as the original, up to now the highest number I have taken account of were twelve doubles plus the original body." Reiko said, correcting Vincent's assumptions about the Efreet, before taking a sip of tea that smelled of an infusion of chamomile and rose hips. Reiko offered a cup to Vincent, before breaking the silence again, "Perhaps, should I explain it in better detail?"

"You see, the Efreet is a being that, as his name implies, is composed of flames and slag; in his pure form, the would look like a column of living fire and metal shrapnel, the clothes he wear are actually restraints to allow it to wield tools and weapons." Reiko made another brief pause, to be sure that Vincent was following all of that, before continuing, "he's an apparition that has taken on the life of mercenary hundreds of years ago, but he does not work for money, rather than that, the Efreet sells his blades for those who can provide him with the most entertainment. Turns out that usually his main client is the same, Yotsuba Technology Corporation, I'm sure you must know of them, if you are on this life."

"Furthermore, I don't know which information is that which you claim that he has, but he has a habit of digging the backgrounds of any target he deems has worthy of his time. Now, about the part you seem to be most interested in," The Scarlet Sage set her, now empty, cup back on the tray and rested her hands on her lap, before continuing, "To kill it, you will need to to eliminate all of his doubles, if even if one of the survives, the Efreet will do so as well. Or, at least that's the most accurate answer I can give, after all, if I was completely sure of how to dispose of him, I would have done so long ago."

"Now, before you depart, I would like you to know that I'm telling you this for a reason only. The Efreet is the most likely culprit for the assassination of my younger sister some years ago." Reiko said as she accompanied Vincent back to the front door. "I'm not used to taking a direct stance on most conflicts, upholding neutrality being one of my reasons of being, but if it's to end the existence of the assassin of my sister... I might be willing to turn a blind eye to my credo once."

With that said, Reiko waited for Vincent's reply (if there would be any), before going back to her study. After all, what kind of self-respecting hermit wizard leaves her home when there's more people to dirty their hands for her?

@IncredibleBee

• • •

The Puppeteer, Orihime Tokisada

Orihime followed Kazuki without much protest, the mere promise of food being enough to move the the girl like a moth drawn to a flame. Hopefully, her ultimate fate wouldn't be the same, right?

"Ahh... hmm..." Orihime stammered a bit when she was asked who she was and why she wanted to go and meet Aria, but eventually, she replied to Kazuki, "I'm Orihime, Tokisada Orihime, a Dollmaster and, hmm... former member of the Beastmasters clan." Independent of which type of food Kazuki would provide for her, Orihime would eat it voraciously at first, before noticing her actions and blushing as she began to eat in a more civilized way. One had to wonder, how long has she gone without proper nutrition to be that hungry?

In fact, from this close, Kazuki would be able to notice that Orihime had bruises on her that didn't looked like they were the result of yesterday's fight, including a short glance of her back that revealed what looked like lashing wounds. Whatever happened to her, it probably was awful, and spoke way better than she could, about why she expected to wake up in a cell. Even so, she answered, after gobbing down another portion "I was a prisoner, soon to be executed, because of my cursed bloodline. Bu- but... in the very last moment, he came and saved me, even though it... costed his life." Orihime made a long pause after saying that, looking as if she was about to break down in tears. Whoever the person she talked about was, it was clear that he were dear to her, perhaps a sibling, or a lover.

"I came with news, that she must have", Orihime replied about the last of Kazuki's questions, "H- he said, that I should find Miss Aria, if anything were to happen. This is very important, since someone on our clan sold the relic that generated the water of a holy waterfall. It's said that a passage to the world of demons lies beyond it, if the water stops flowing, not even god would knows what evils could come out of it."

@rechonq

[TheWendil]

~Aria~

---

Once Aria was finished in tidying up her small work space, she moved away from her office and proceeded to rejoin the other Chasers in the front section of her café. And to be honest, it was an almost sorry sight with only a few faces showing up tonight. Aria frowned, greatly concerned about the whereabouts of everyone else. She knew they had succeeded in their missions smoothly so where were they now?

More than a little discouraged, the Head Magister floated up onto the bar and waved her legs back and forth in boring thought, wondering about the others. Was it the doughnuts? Sure she could admit that she had a weakness for being a sweet tooth but they weren’t that sweet, were they? Or maybe it was the coffee. Was the coffee too sweet?

Trying not to let these gloomy ideas get the best of her, Aria couldn’t help but light up again when a sudden burst of energy entered Dangeki. That burst being her friend Alice of course, Aria holding back a giggle as the young girl strutted forward with the confidence of many. She moved off to a proper table and waited for Alice to seat herself across from her.

“Yes, I figured it was something like that. After all, even someone as perfect as you must need their rest. I was a little disheartened when you didn’t return…but that’s in the past now,” Aria said with a smile. At mention of the Youkai Hunter’s name, the Head Magister tilted her head before saying, “Yes, I know of him. He’s more of a lone wolf type but he’s trustworthy enough to be aligned with the Chasers. Why? Did you run Vincent last night?”

More people began to enter the Dangeki, notably Rui-Ling, Carver, and Isotta. Hearing the immortal’s question, Aria politely nodded her head before saying, “That’s right. I’m sure you can handle yourself Rui-Ling but I don’t want to stir up any trouble that can be avoided. That said, feel free to act brashly if you feel the situation calls for it.”

Assuming he would be able to even do so against the Class SSS Youkai.

---

@McFazzer, @Ashifili, @Flamelord, @Shisa

[rechonq]

Kazuki took in all of the evidence that pointed to Orihime's innocence. A Dollmaster in the Beastmaster Clan was a little ironic to him, but otherwise nothing seemed dangerous about her. She seemed starved as she inhaled several pancakes before slowing down. He noticed weird scars as he served her as well. They were too healed to have been from last night's fight. He began to get really worried when she began to speak of her imprisonment and escape. Oh no. Please don't cry. It must be hard to lose someone, but don't cry. Then it just gets awkward and I don't know what to do. Fortunately she didn't cry and continued with her explanation.

The talk of the removal of a holy waterfall generator that covers the portal to demon realms seemed very serious. "Well, an open demon portal is bad. Aria should have some ideas on how to handle this. Lets get you to the Dangeki quick." Kazuki stopped making pancakes and Orihime quickly finished. Kazuki headed downstairs to his bike he retrieved earlier that day.

"Sorry, this is the only ride I have. The Dangeki is nearby though. Just sit on the rack in the back." Kazuki rode Orihime to the Dangeki, trying to make it as unawkward as he could. They arrived quickly and he led Orihime into the Dangeki.

He scanned the room for a moment and saw Aria sitting with Alice. Maybe even Alice knew something about this. "Hey Aria. I have someone with some important information for you. This is Orihime. Orihime this is Miss Aria."

[TheFake]

Sheridan Black

Dangeki Pawn & Parlor Café

The black sportscar cruised through the city streets on a long route that would take it away from what traffic there would be at this time of day. It eased to a gentle stop outside of the cafe and idled for a moment the engine stopped and the female driver stepped out. If Sheridan Black could have looked tired, she would have. She didn't need sleep but after almost a week in Prague taking care of a group of new chasers that had gotten in over their heads and the subsequent twelve hours of flying to get back to Japan she was very much in need of some time to sit down and relax.

Of course work always came first and she reached into the back seat and pulled out a tactical style single shoulder bag before closing the door with a push of her hip. There was always something going on here and it never hurt to be prepared. Sheridan walked in through the door and did her best to ignore the garishly painted Suzuki parked outside. After a moment to appreciate the aroma of coffee and baked goods she walked to the counter to make her order.

"A large coffee, black, and two single espressos, please. I suppose I'll take a carrot muffin as well."

She didn't need the food but it made her feel like she fit in better if she bought something. Sheridan also enjoyed coffee a lot. Before even taking it back to a free table she drank half of the coffee and poured the contents of the two smaller cups into the large one. This concoction and the muffin were carried over to a table near the job board so that she could take a look at the postings while she ate. The graffiti mission looked interesting and it wasn't as if she could be sick anyway.

"Is anyone else working on this graffiti case?"

@McFazzer

[IncredibleBee]

"Tch." Vincent grimaced, brushing away the tea. He'd barely learned anything at all.
"So all you're saying is that I just gotta kill all his clones at once? I think I can manage. Maybe prepare some cryogenic weapons." he growled.
"And I don't know shit about that Yostsuba place. But if what you say is true, maybe I ought to pay them a visit later."

"Now, if you ain't got anything else to say, I'm gonna take my leave. Next time I won't let that monster run away." he said, turning towards the door.

[Ashifili]

Aria’s words made perfect sense for him. Even if the SSS-Class Youkai didn’t have an answer to Rui-Ling’s form of immortality, it’d probably be a bad thing if the entirety of the Red Woods disappeared off the face of the planet. No doubt, Reiko probably wouldn’t want her reclusive little mansion to stick out like a sore thumb after all the trees were gone. And think about the environmental impact! If there was one thing that frightened the relatively immortal Rui-Ling, it was the impact that global warming and pollution was going to have on the world. God knows how terrible it’d be if the air turned black and he was condemned to a world in which he died a horrible, breathing-related death every few seconds.

With that in mind, the young immortal nodded. “Yeah, sounds about right. Here’s to hoping that those disappearances aren’t actually related to the SSS-class, eh? Would think that youkai that powerful have better things to do than make randoms disappear.”

As he turned for the exit of the Pawn Shop, it looked like more Chasers were finally filing into the room. Kazuki brought in a new girl (oho, a girlfriend? Must be nice being young), and his senior, Sheridan, showed up as well. He waved at her, before saying, “Sup Sheri, haven’t seen you in some time. Starting off with a cleaning job to get warmed up again?”

The immortal leaned against a stool, grinning, one ear on another conversation that was going on as well. After all, as a nosy, undying Chaser, he obviously should listen to whatever Kazuki’s girlfriend had to say to Aria, right?

Anyways, with the bumblebee Hayabusa, he’d be able to get to the outskirts of Sonomachi pretty quickly regardless.
@TheFake

[Shisa]

"I-it's not like I wanted to let you down like that," said Alice, crossing her arms. She looked away from Aria for a second, sulking a little, before she returned her gaze to the tiny vampire and continued, "I do so despise rudeness, after all. Here, I'll make it up to you."

Seemingly from nowhere, Alice quickly produced her tea set and filled the cups and plates with delectable teas and treats, each with the power to make you stronger or faster or a variety of other effects. Alice smiled sweetly.

"Even you must want to take a break from doughnuts every now and again. I assure you, my snacks are of the highest quality. Now, returning to matters of business. Yes, I did meet Vincent last night. I am slightly worried about his going solo, though, and I wish to offer him my assistance. I don't know where he's gone, however. He'd said something about looking for a way to fight Ifrit before he-"

Alice blushed a little, recalling how the man picked her up and carried her home while she flailed about and shouted.

"W-well, he'd said something about finding a tactic with which to best Ifrit. Do you have any idea as to where he could be, Aria?"

Before anything else could happen, however, two were approached by Kazuki and a girl that he introduced to them as Orihime. Alice gave the two a polite smile, and pointed to the tray of goodies she had conjured up.

"Hello, Kazuki. Pleasure to meet you, Orihime. Would either of you like a treat? I assure you, my baked goods are divine."

[TheWendil]

~Aria~

---

Aria made sure to nod at each of the new arrivals and to Rui-Ling before focusing back onto Alice. Seeing the other girl sulk in her apparent rudeness, Aria giggled lightly and shook her head. It wasn’t that big of a deal and honestly the lost time was being made up now with their time spent together. But the extra sweets were always appreciated.

“Well…I suppose I do tend to be biased towards doughnuts,” Aria admitted with hesitation before taking up a cup and sipping at it. By the grin on her face it was evident that Alice’s proclamation was not hyperbole. Taking what appeared to be a cookie as well, she didn’t notice Alice’s blush and darting eyes at the mention of Vincent. Something else had her attention.

“Ifrit? That’s interesting,” said Aria, her features creasing to a frown as she immediately thought of Reiko. “I have an idea of where he’s gone to, yes. But it’s far out of the way. You see, he most likely visited my former apprentice. The World’s Strongest Mage…actually, I think she’s taken up residence in the Red Woods where the SSS-Rank mission is located in.”

Before she could continue on, she noticed Kazuki walking up to her with someone new by his side. Raising an eye, she could sense that this girl wanted to speak with her about something. She glanced to Kazuki to hear his input first before turning to Orihime.

"Greetings Orihime. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Aria, the Head Magister and leader of the Chasers. How may I help you this evening?"

---

@Shisa, @rechonq, @KoL

[Flamelord]

Isotta continued to rest in place, eyeing the scene as more figures arrived, checking over the available jobs and conversing with the patrons already present. That included the girl that she had take part in rescuing earlier, who seemed to be in better shape than she had been when they had saved her. It was reassuring to see that Kazuki had taken care of her since they had departed.

Of course, other events were happening. Some of the missions were taken up, but Isotta ignored that for the most part. It was none of her business, insofar as she was here as a liaison and not as an active Chaser. Perhaps they might have needed her assistance, but she let the offer for volunteers pass her by with nary a word spoken. Until they truly needed her, she would stay uninvolved.

The only other thing of note was the return of Sheridan Black, a figure that Isotta viewed with rightful suspicion and caution. Just like with Lucille, Isotta had little love for those who used witchcraft, and especially the undead. It was not offensive enough for there to be open combat, but she would admit that she had perhaps a closer eye on the activities of Black (and Lucille) than she did some of the others. Just in case they day ever came when she had to act.

Still, for now she rose, moving closer to get a better vantage point of the meeting between Orihime and Aria, if only out of curiosity and nothing else. She wanted to know of the girl that they had rescued, and this would be the best way to do it, though she would not enter the conversation unless drawn in or asked directly. She was certain that Aria had this under control.

[rechonq]

@TheWindel@Shisa

Kazuki was tempted by Alice's invitation to some cookies. She wasn't joking when she said they were divine. "Hello Alice, I think we would like a treat, but first we have something to inform you on. We found Orihime last night fighting against a man with a fox mask. He had an army of wolves and a fiery Minotaur. She claims to be a Dollmaster from the Beastmaster clan. She also says that someone from her clan stole a relic that produced holy water to cover the portal to a demon realm and now it is open.

Kazuki began to feel the looks of everyone in the shop. He was fine with ignoring them, as he explained the situation. He remembered that she was also a prisoner, but he forgot to ask why she was imprisoned. Well maybe she would say when she explained her story. Otherwise he would have to ask her later. As he finished his lengthy summary of the situation, he took one of the cookies Alice offered and began on it, savoring the delectable snack.