[IC] Yasuragiha: The Blades of Peace

[Takashi]

Yasuragiha

Ayane stared at the assignment board in the main hall with child-like wonder as a member of the council posted some new jobs. "Oooo! Whatcha putting up there? Is it a dangerous assignment? Are we gonna need an army? Or are we gonna make some new friends?" The council member just shook his head, albeit with a faint smile, and retreated back into his chambers. He knew that any interaction with this kitsune would provoke a spirited discussion that he was not in the mood to have. So, Ayane was left staring at the board alone to read the assignments for herself. Though there was nothing wrong with her eyes, she leaned forward so that her nose was practically touching the board. "A winged lizard? Coool!" With her mind apparently made up, Ayane scampered off to find someone to go traveling with, and she had someone in mind...

"Ken! Hey Ken!"

Kenzo cringed when he heard that familiar voice calling out to him. For some reason, that fox had interpreted his decision not to kill her as a sign of friendship. On days like today, he felt a twinge of regret about sparing her life. Perhaps if he just ignored her she would go away. He stared at the wooden dummy with cold, calculating eyes. With every strike, the dummy's frame shook and rattled, the impact echoing throughout the training area. He drew his hand back for a finishing blow, ready to shatter the dummy with one final punch, but then felt a sudden weight that halted his strike before he released it. "Ayane, will you please stop standing on my arm."

The kitsune obliged with a giggle, doing a backflip and landing gracefully behind the swordsman. "Come on! Let's go say hi to the lizard. He needs a brand."

Kenzo had no idea what lizard she was talking about, but figured it was an assignment since she had mentioned branding him. "We just got back from an assignment yesterday. Why don't you enjoy your reward money for a bit?"

"But I spent all my reward money. Plus it's a really big mountain lizard! I bet he's looking for friends."

Kenzo just shrugged her off. "So go make friends with it. You don't need me for that."

Ayane's ears and tail drooped as she looked down at the ground, dejected. "Fine, I'll find somebody else to go say hi to the lizard with. It'll be an awesome adventure, and you're not invited!" She stuck her tongue out at him and trotted off, seeing who else might be up for an assignment.

[AtomicNut]

"Hm, I wonder what it tastes like. It should be a challenge to hunt." Shiro mumbled to himself, as he stepped deftly towards the assigment board, carefully making it so he avoided a certain loathsome little beastie that only lived for mischief. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the ruckus caused by the fellow spirit guildmember, pondering if her childlike assessment was a product of stupidity or a well-crafted-prank. Knowing foxes, probably the latter. Still, the mission seemed to have some promise.

Although, the creature seemed to be capriciously enthralled with Swordman Kenzo. Kenzo seemed an okay individual, a strong human with the sword, and some skill in hunting. And for a wolf spirit, that much was meaningful. He had decided to wisely sit out for the assigment. Not out of cowardice, but out of wisdom. After all, overexerting oneself could lead to one's downfall quickly.

"Peh." He looked at the vixen once more as he yawned and scratched one of his ears. "I could use the challenge to grow up in skill. One can only grow so much with training." His ears twitched and dropped.

"But then again... the company could be better." The wolf spirit solemny stated as he sat down nearby, pondering whether it was worth it or not. Had it been anyone else interested... he would follow suit. Solo would still be preferable to this.

[Haeo]

The faint noise of scampering feet blended well with the background noise in the main hall of the Guild. Jin Yeong had a message tube on his back as he raced along the wall toward the stairs that led to the upper offices where he was to deliver it. He had come from a small message relay post several miles away and was looking forward to some time at his desk. However, it was at that moment that he emerged from behind several idle feet and pieces of furniture to stand in full view of Shiro, a skilled hunter for the Guild and a person older than Jin Yeong by decades.

Thus a, slightly larger than average, black mountain hare with solid red eyes paused in its scamper while breathing deeply from a long run to stand as upright as possible and execute a respectful bow toward its senior before continuing its rush upstairs to complete its mission. Jin Yeong was not physically impressive by any standard in any form. In fact, many of his siblings were both larger and stronger than him. Yet, it was not their abilities that must dictate his path, it was his own.

The office where the message scroll was to be delivered came up quickly on his right after he ascended the stairs. He stopped a moment and shook himself, using a clawed foot to loosen the straps and remove the message tube from his back. The air around him wavered briefly and seemed to ripple with wisps of black mist. Then he stood in his human form, all three feet and six inches of it. He actually made it to four feet with his hat on, though that didn't count to most. He was still breathing heavily but had it under control when he knocked on the door. By the time he had finished the delivery and shut the office door behind him, he had regained his breath.

The next thing to do was a written report. Jin Yeong walked respectably toward his own small office, a glorified closet with a desk and small window. There was less pay involved for message running and bureaucratic work but there was never a shortage of missions of that kind. So, even with the lesser pay, he made a decent income off of his benign tasks. After that run, he was looking forward to some relaxing desk work.

@AtomicNut

[sakurasan]

Nai awoke from her slumber, still in her first form and quite comfortable. “Good morning sweets~” A smile on her face as she kissed the deer that she had fallen asleep next to on the head. She called practically all of the forest animals that she was acquaintanced with sweets. They all had names but it was just a habit of hers that she couldn’t take away and they most definitely did not mind. “Good morning Nao.” The deer replied, not as if she was going to actually get up but just to acknowledge that she saw that she was up. “Take care and be safe. You should know how many people want you dead already.” Putting its head back down and taking a rest again. This particular deer had a motherly-ness to her, kind and respectable but all the same strict. She was for sure older but you should know that you never ask a lady for their age.

Nai walked inside of her hospital or home, taking the fall and landing graciously by hovering a bit over the ground as she landed. The first floor had wood flooring installed and she had to admit, it looked nice. Quickly, she grabbed her swell leather bag, throwing it over her side. She had her bandaids inside, already enchanted just in case anyone got hurt. Rummaging through it as she grabbed her pendant and put in on, heading back up the ladder and finding a nearby puddle. Every morning, she would turn to her human form and practice smiling a bit… Not that it really helped. She practically smirked at herself, pissing her off as she flipped away and headed back down after realizing that she had forgotten her medicine. Hmmm… Which ones should I bring? In the end she decided on one for Coronary Artery Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Stroke medicine, Lower Respiratory Infections, and common cuts or extreme bleeding. They were some of the deadliest as well as a common one to witness. She then placed the necklace bottles over her neck gently. Everything else like her poison and notebook were already in her back so that wasn’t anything to worry about. However… some of the potions did somewhat look like poison. Not all of course.

Nai then headed over to the pair of wolves that she was keeping at the moment. Somehow, she had found them with each of them having a bone dislocation and barely able to stand. “Don’t worry sweets, i’ll be back but for now…” calmly, she lifted their head as she sang a lullaby, returning to her first form. They needed to calm down. She understood that the medicine tasted bad but it would make them heal by the strike of midnight. “Good… That wasn’t so bad, right?” They whined but she then continued to sing the lullaby until they fell asleep which took around 4 minutes. Before she left, she kissed them both on their head with a gentle smile.

Next, she headed over to her room, the plain and boring bedroom that she loved but despised all the same. Rummaging through the closet until she found her outfit for the day. Finally, she decided on the one she had created herself the other day. Well, more like repaired tremendously. It took her 2 weeks to finally finish patching it back up and it now looked brand new once again. She really didn't want to not want to be able to wear it due to... unforeseen circumstances.

Her outfit

Her more fancy one that she was going to wear had been covered in wolf puke as well as blood from a deer that had been shot. Luckily, she was able to save the deer and the puke was from the wolves that she was taking care of right now.

Finally, she emerged from the underground and headed over to the guild, now back in her human form. Hopefully, no one would be getting hurt today.. Once she got there, she silently went over to the assignments, catching some girls that were looking at her. She knew them. Her father helped kill her mother. They were whispering and Nai smiled at them which was instead a sly grimace as if she was looking down on them. Turning her head quickly and hoping they hadn’t realized her at all. I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be smiling? Shaking off the thought as she put her attention back on the board and tried to ignore the girls very obvious gossip and insulting. Hmmm… A disease? A disease of the mind… Hmmm… I only have a temporary cure for that.. Nao sighed as she decided on this one to be her assignment. She smiled at herself, pondering upon the thought of being able to create a new potion and help someone. Kirin are quite rare but I would love to see one.

She sat down nearby, taking out a fresh able from her bag and taking a bite, its juices pouring out a bit. Mmmm~ It tastes delicious. Green apples were a favorite of hers. She would most likely need to befriend a tracker but… Nao looked around and saw victims of her parents and a few faces she wasn’t familiar with. This whole time and she had never had a decent conversation with anyone there. But, this isn’t about me.. I do need to befriend a tracker and talk to the client… Who’s a tracker around here? Befriend... She didn't think that she would actually succeed in such things but she was willing to try. Glancing around but not very well as she continued to eat her apple until she finished and threw it away. She had more food in her bag. 2 full meals even, but for breakfast that was enough for her. Tracker, tracker, tracker… Someone that doesn’t hate me… Client...Tracker.

[Delta44]

'What a nice, sunny day... Too bad it's a little chilly, though. Heh. Ghost humour.'

The friendly undead descends the steps of the second floor of the guild, entering into the main, central area. His eyes dart around as he identifies all the members present. 'Today looks busy.' He thought to himself, his curiosity piqued. Of course, the only reason the guild would have more members is either because they went on a mass recruitment (again), a bunch of adventuring parties got back (again), or the jobs available weren't that... interesting. Again! It was a little irritating, being around so many people - the Yurei honestly felt more comfortable in solitude or when around less people. It wasn't that he despised anyone or anything, it was simply not his cup of tea.

That, and more people meant he was more prone to losing a body part... Again!

Shurui sighs as he makes his way over to the assignment board, regarding those present with little more than a nod as he scanned the assignment available... though his interest was, of course, drawn to The Phantom Killer job. Some of the members, particularly those who've been members in Yasuragiha for longer, might know of Shurui's odd fascination with murder mystery type jobs; the kinds of jobs that require a lot of thought and hard work in order to find the mysterious killer. Though he hadn't told anyone, it was quite obvious his intention was to try and find his killer and make sure no one else had to suffer from their tyranny again, though for those who didn't yet know he was an undead, well... it would just come off as some creepy, somewhat grim pastime or something.

Though, when your skin and clothes glow a light blue, it's difficult to convince someone you're not a Spirit. Then again, Yurei who were capable of reclaiming their skeleton were rare in their own way, so add that to the uniqueness that Shurui had reclaimed his body through the brand (although partial) and you've basically got a one-of-a-kind new Spirit. It was funny how the brand could change things - how something so simple had brought about so much change in the way people lived. At least, Shurui thought it was interesting.

"I'll be taking this one," he says, pointing to The Phantom Killer job, "shouldn't be too hard. Usually never is. Sometimes."

If Nai overheard this revelation, it may be a little disheartening. Shurui's tracking skills, be it in a man-made or natural environment, were known as some of the best in the guild. Not to mention, he was generally accepting of anyone so long as they weren't openly bad towards others - a possible friend candidate. Though, it would generally take a bit of persuasion to get him to change his mind. Sometimes.

'Time to try and find another killer. Again.'

@sakurasan

[Rekaigan]

Nemu

Had Nemu been napping outside the guild rather than in it, he probably wouldn't have been woken up by the sudden increase in member traffic as new missions were posted up in the morning. He let out a ridiculously long yawn, stretching out his back and arms. Napping in a chair was a terrible idea. Especially in human form. Ugh backbone, why? he whined inwardly. He'd be in Nekomata form had it been appropriate before hand. But when he deals with humans, it's easier to just be a human with a long tail. Speaking of which. He lifted his prehensile tail to check if it was still holding onto his sword, which it was, thankfully. Well, not that it mattered, the sword would just reappear in his lap if he lost it. So convenient for someone as lazy as him.

He slowly got out of his chair, slipping the sword into his belt so he didn't need to hold it. He casually walked up the the mission board, pushing past a few of the newbies that were looking for new missions. A Phantom killer... Looking for a Kirin...Branding a weird lizard... Oh the choices. He wanted something.. Not as difficult. Looking for a killer isn't great, he might die. Looking for a Kirin would be annoying, they haven't been seen for at least a century (exaggerating). "Let's go with.. Branding a weird lizard." He shrugged, pulling the paper off the board in a very casual manner, much to the disappointment of some newcomers who were eyeing the mission. First come, first serve. Don't wait for your friends to show up. Wait for them after you take the mission. Whether or not people wanted to join him was up to them, but he'd prefer it if they weren't human.. or canine.

He felt a shiver go through his spine. A Wolf and Fox spirit. Please keep them away from me, lord. He prayed. He didn't believe in such things, but he did it mockingly most of the time.

@AtomicNut@Takashi

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Miya~

Ah, the Zen garden. Probably Miya's favorite place in the guild. Nice, peaceful, relaxing, quiet. A perfect place to meditate. Currently, the blue clad Oni was meditating near the stream, sitting right on the bank. If a more mischievous member wanted too, they could have probably pushed the unsuspecting Oni in. Of course, if they did that, then as soon as she got out they'd have a slightly agitated Oni chasing them, which probably wasn't good for their health. The Oni had been there since morning, since a little before actually. She had always been an early riser, so waking early wasn't a problem for her.

Soon though, the Oni reached up, scratching one of her inch-long horns sprouting from her forehead. Last time, a bird had decided that it'd make a pretty good perch while she was meditating. While she didn't really mind the birds so much, she would not be having one making a nest on her horns. She cracked open an eye, followed by a yawn. She had meditated just about as long as she probably should. Any more, and she'd likely fall asleep as embarrassing as that was to admit. There were likely some assignments she could be taking now.

She stood, stretching as she finished her mediation, and headed for the main building, not taking her long to arrive. First order of business, she walked over to the mission board. There should be something she could take care of. Some murderer or something. Despicable. She had half a mind to take the job herself just so she could find this lowlife and teach him a harsh lesson. Some sort of search to find a Kirin...yeah, no. Not happening. As much as she'd love spending hours searching for one, that wasn't gonna happen. Her eyes then fell on the last mission, something about a lizard or something causing trouble.

Unfortunately, before she could read all of it, Nemu decided to take it for himself.

"Ah, hold a moment." She said, quickly deciding to address the Nekomata. "I would like to accompany you."

@Rekaigan

[sakurasan]

After Nao had looked around, she saw that the only tracker she somewhat...knew? Was Shurui Seishin. A ghost. He seemed like a decent person though the longest conversation that they had shared was short hellos. Short enough for her not to appear rude due to the fact that she wasn’t even really paying attention to anything at the time. All she knew about him was that her parents had nothing to do with him and he was an excellent tracker. B-but… He has good people skills too.. And he’s nice… He seems scary.. Nao sighed, slowly standing up to prepare to walk over to him as if it was something awfully hard.

Once she went over to him, she heard that he was going to choose the lizard hunt. Nao sulked, as if she was a puppy that had just been left by its master. “Oh…” she whispered quietly. She was just beside him but most likely unnoticeable. If he wasn’t going to be much of a possible teammate for this, the least she could do was ask just in case. Pointing at the poison one, she faced him with her now expressionless face.

“Join. Tracker... Please?” God, her human interaction skills had gotten even worse over such a short time. Horrible! Now you can’t try it again!! Are you trying to make him think that you are some rude brat…? Better yet, simply hate you? Say something else! Adding please doesn’t even make it that better~ she complained in her thoughts, not showing it on her outer shell as she simply stared at him, until she tossed her short hair behind her shoulders a bit. She then mentally face-palmed. This was not going well for her. Trying to lighten things up with a nice smile, she smirked at him. Argh. I give up. You’re done... Tears would be falling down her eyes because for sure that is what she was doing in her mind at the moment (not on the outer of course). She wanted to be in the forest with her friends.

Before giving up, she began to scramble through her bag. Soon, she took out an enchanted flower as well as... stuff mixed onto it. It was made specifically for ghosts. Everyone knew that they didn’t like crowds and that they have no sense of smell, taste, or touch. She handed him the flower. Simple thing that she had made… she says simple but it took her a month to find the ingredients as well as get it right. Made out of the root of a mereltenie flower, blood of an enchanted deer, enchanted spider wed, and some stuff that shouldn't be named due to the fact that they aren't exactly safe to obtain. In the end, they form a whole new flower that is not possible to find since it is well, manmade. It gave ghosts their senses for a week. Exactly a week. So, they could use it when they absolutely needed it. She only had around 7 of these and all of the ghosts that she gave them too were quite shocked to find out such a thing existed.

The flower

“Take when need.” she said, a blank expression now back onto her face. Of course, she forgot to actually specify the purpose of the potion or how to apply it and make it work for that matter. For now she was simply using it as a peace offering... something that she needed in order to not be shunned I suppose. Though, handing a stranger an enchanted plant with no explanation about it whatsoever wasn't exactly subtle.
@Delta44

[Blight Bug]

Lady Guan Du was awake and active. Currently, the woman was engaged in sweeping dust upon her chamber floors. Ru knew that it would be poor taste to allow the dirt to accumulate any further. And she could not in good conscience expect anyone else to do such chores for her. As such Xiu Ru had placed down a pan upon the floorboard and gently sweeped dust into it. While doing this labor, Ru was humming up the major scale. It was always good to keep practicing and honing the basics, and besides that she always enjoyed a touch of music while tending to chores.

As she reached F on the scale, Lady Guan swept some more dirt into the pan. Glancing down, the woman realized that the pan was full. A gentle smile blossomed upon the woman's face. With this chore done, she had a small load off her mind. Xiu Ru bent down and grabbed the pan, and kept a firm hold on it. After all, she could not allow herself to accidentally spill the dust.

Taking great care, Ru slowly raised the dustbin above a small trash container. Tilting her wrist ever so slightly, Lady Guan watched as she saw the grey dust begin to fall into the trashcan. Moving like dust, it was falling down straight into the trashbin. However, not all of it had fallen in due to the angle Ru kept her hand at. Xiu Ru tilted her wrist a tad more, and the remnants of it were poured into the trashcan. She smiled softly, as she walked back towards the broom.

She bent down to grab the broom with her other hand. The woman proceeded to lay both of them against the wall. The dustpan was easily put back into position. On the other-hand, the broom was less cooperative. It made a single thud against the floor. Ru picked up the broom and leaned it against the wall once again. This time, the broom managed to stay on the wall.

With her chore done, Lady Guan Du Xiu Ru walked out of her room with a small smile. As she exited her chamber, she slowly pushed her fingers against the door to shut it. After all, it would be unseemly for a lady to slam the door when it could be shut with grace.

Lady Ru began striding towards the main hallway, as her hips swayed softly with each step. As she approached the assignment board, she noticed that there were already a fair amount of individuals who were eyeing it.

With a small bow of the head, Ru spoke softly. "Excuse me for the intrusion, but I wish to know if everyone is present? And what are the assignments at hand?" Ru tilted her head slightly as she tried to gain a view of the board. "For I am unable to see what is available, and I do not wish to take your spot if you have yet to see what they were."

[Zombehs]

Ryuki

---

---

Leaves rustled upon branches as a gentle breeze rolled through the forest. Not quite silent, but certainly the forest was much quieter than it should have been. There should have been noises aplenty, but his presence cowed or simply drove away many of the critters and animals. Though tapped into his surroundings, Ryuki did not become one this time around.

He felt the countless small lights that called this forest home, and even those beyond the sea of trees. Such as the eight council members that had just concluded their meeting. With a slow exhale he opened his eyes and rose from to his feet. The forest floor cracked and crunched with each step as Ryuki began his walk back to the Guild, curious as to what assignments the Council had deliberated and approved.

At his casual pace, it was no surprise that the assignment board was already surrounded by other members by the time he arrived. The ones that flinched when Ryuki entered the main hall were marked as new by the Spirit, but he paid them little attention. Most people got used to the fact that he was a Spirit and chose to look like one for the most part while his human guise was just that, a guise. He approached the gathered crowd with barely a sound and peered over their heads rather than push through.

It wasn’t too hard to make out what each assignment said, though it seemed one had already been taken. To the raven-haired lady he had wound up next to, he explained. “Deal with a man-eating spirit luring nobles to the slum. A noble wants Kirin fluids for its healing properties to cure his daughter. There was one more, but someone has already plucked it from board.” His voice was, unsurprisingly, deep, but rather smooth despite his bestial appearance.

---

@Blight Bug

[Haeo]

Jin Yeong arrived at his office full of expectation. It was a rare day when there was less than a dozen scrolls waiting to be purused and a greater number of matters to attend to. Yet, when he slid the door open, what greeted him was a desk with two scrolls and a single sheet of message paper. The two scrolls proved to be for the usual reports and he finished both of them in short order. Beautifully written and meticulous as always, they were sure to bring the usual pay.

The message was a different matter. He unfolded the paper and held it in front of him for several long moments. It was well written, concise, and explained why his desk was so light. It was from two levels of authority above him in the Guild.

"The cutting planted in hope may all too soon wither away to nothing for the weight of idleness upon it."

Jin Yeong folded the message again and lay it back upon his desk in an upside down manner, to indicate that he had read it. Then he turned to face the corner of the room and reached out, pulling a spear from the shadow that lurked there most days. There was dust on the weapon but its high quality and venerable age were both still clearly visible. He took a small cloth from a drawer of his desk and a small bottle of oil. Adding a small amount of the oil to the cloth, he proceeded to polish the weapon back to brightness. Due to his limited size this required several changes of position. After all, the spear was over nearly six feet long. It was not so far from being twice his height in length. As such, he preferred to not carry it unless he had to. And this time, he would have to.

The message from his superior had to have meant that he was letting a skill or talent remain idle when it should be trained. With the work he had been doing, there were only two skills that he could think of, which would fit that description well enough. The first was people skills. In spite of having worked for the guild for over a year Jin Yeong had managed to avoid forming any kind of social attachments. He had also avoided writing home for the past fifteen years or so. The other skill was likely his skill with the spear and the powers it possessed. These were things that he should continue to develop, even though they might seem distasteful to his sense of his ideal self.

He finished polishing the Spear of Heaven's Lake and returned the cloth to its place, properly folded. It was time for him to pay more attention to the mission board. So, he tucked the spear under his left arm and proceeded to leave his office with its disappointingly empty desk behind him. His steps were dutiful but not eager as he came down the stairs into the common area and began trying to work his way toward the board. There were a number of older and more experienced spirits in the area around the board. Two, in particular, were familiar from various reports and casual passing greetings.

As such, Jin Yeong bowed formally to Ryuki and Shuroi who had arrived in his absence. He then bowed again to Shiru, whose seated position must mean that he was considering his options most seriously and should not be disturbed. There were a number of far younger people there, some who had achievements worthy of respect already behind them and many more who had yet to earn such renown. Yet, Jin Yeong did not see any of his senior spirits forming traveling parties for any of the available quests. He did not feel capable enough to lead less experienced agents and dared not disrespect his seniors by attempting to join them as an equal with his limited battle prowess. Instead, the rabbit in human form took a close look at the missions available, including the one that he had to read through the crook of a certain Nekomata's elbow.

The search for a Kirin looked like it would be fascinating but it seemed that the only person interested in that mission was one of the newer agents, a young Kodama who preferred to be addressed informally as Nao. She was attempting to enlist one of their seniors in the search. While Jin Yeong knew that she did not follow the same philosophy as the rabbit, it was difficult to watch her behave in such a way with one so far her elder. Yet, she did not seem to bear any of the arrogance or contempt that her appearance would suggest. He found his opinion of her torn between his eyes and his instincts. With such internal division he could do nothing but reserve judgment.

So he waited. The other two missions were likely to involve battles on a level that he might not be sufficient for without aid. He could only hope that an opportunity to assist someone else would become apparent.

@Zombehs@sakurasan@Rekaigan@Delta44@AtomicNut

[Delta44]

Perhaps the wrong message had gotten across, because for some reason, Shurui... grinned? There was no doubt about it - despite the fact he was regarding her beforehand with nothing more than an empty expression, he was grinning now, all thanks to her smirk. He took the flower and stared at it in his hand without a word, before looking over his body for something to put it in. Unfortunately, he didn't have anywhere to store the item at the moment, and thus would probably have to get his bag from upstairs. Even so, he showed his appreciation through a brief nod. "Thanks, girl. I'm sure it'll come in handy." He wasn't quite sure why exactly it'd come in handy, but he was sure it'd become apparent later.

There was a sudden increase in people wanting to check out the board, though thankfully not a lot seemed interested in his Phantom Killer job. If he were to do the job for Nao quickly, he could probably move on to the Phantom Job. Though of course, that all depended on interest and the reward getting higher. Shurui sighs. 'Damn my sympathy for the youthful.' He smirks himself, despite not exactly being in a smirking mood, as he turns back to face Nao. "I'll help you out, but on one condition..." He pauses as he hands her back the offering. "I'll need one or two more of these." He didn't really need the items, however he felt accepting outright would be too out-of-character for himself. He had to retain at least some level of professionalism, otherwise he'd end up more like Casper the Friendly Ghost... Whatever that was.

All was going well between the two... But then she arrived...

"Excuse me for the intrusion, but I wish to know if everyone is present? And what are the assignments at hand?"

Shurui groaned as he felt his head suddenly spark, a dull pain engulfing it as his mind began to flash back to a time long ago. That voice... it sounded so familiar... Angelic, harmonious... And it wasn't just her voice, either. Her very being was like a mirror image of the woman who had passed away alongside him so long ago. The woman he had loved for so long during his life, and never once forgotten during his afterlife...

His wife.

"For I am unable to see what is available, and I do not wish to take your spot if you have yet to see what they were."

He let out another muffled groan as he felt his body chill a little more. If he had a heart, it probably would've beaten to exhaustion by now, and his face would be covered in sweat. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Pushing past Nao for a moment, he rests a hand on her shoulder, his breathing ragged, yet drawn out. "If you wish to assemble anymore members, please feel free to do so... I'll be upstairs getting my things ready for our expedition..." He speaks quickly, and walks in a rushed manner, passing by the cause of his pain as he heads straight for the stairs, climbing them with haste.

'Why is she like her...? Why are they so similar...?' Shurui was plagued by these thoughts as he made it to the second floor, headed to his room to get the necessary equipment ready.

@sakurasan@Blight Bug

[Blight Bug]

"M-man eating?" Ru uttered aghast at the thought. Her mouth was left agape for a few seconds from this new knowledge that the Oni spoke of. Lady Guan Du shook her head slightly as she was regaining her thoughts. It was a rather startling piece of information, but Xiu Ru could not stay in such shock about this heinous act of taboo. Ru kept her attention towards Ryuki, while she reached towards the fan that was snuggly tucked in her dress band.

With the fan pulled out, Xiu Ru began waving it up and down for a nice breeze. Her eyes darted towards Ryuki and spoke. "I humbly thank you for informing me." Ru stopped fanning herself as she performed a quick bow towards him.

 Lady Ru was just about to fan herself once more, but this plan of action was not going to happen yet. For her attention was focused upon the man who appeared to be at unease. 

Perhaps he was considered with the foul creature who was preying upon men for a demented flesh-lust. Or perhaps he was concerned with the state of father trying to protect a sickly daughter. Or maybe, he was just concerned with someone taking a bulletin off the board. Ru was not quite sure, but she kept her attention on Shurui as he ascended the stairs.

Ru took a few steps to get closer towards the girl Shurui passed. As Lady Guan Du was close enough to her, she decided to speak to Nao. "Pardon me, but I couldn't help but notice that perhaps you may have had a conversation with that man?" Ru waved her fan at herself, before she stopped. "It may not be my place to ask, and I do not mean to offend, but was there a chance that the two of you spoke about one of the assignments?"

@Delta44 @Zombehs @sakurasan

[AtomicNut]

Shiro's ears twitched, as his semblance twisted back and forth, emitting humming sounds as he thought, having partial awareness of his surroundings. The black hare came and went, saluting him. He nodded him back in acknowledgement. It didn't hurt to be civil, as he wasn't going to eat him anyway. The guild had clearly stated fellow spirit members were not to be eaten.

And then, the Kodama from the forest. A particular individual, to say the slightlest. Some days they both were trading barbs, some days he just felt like wanting to use her grove as marking grounds, and other days they were pretty okay in terms. It was variable, like nature. And as such, he wasn't going to ask WHY she was giving a faint but definitively present scent of puke. Maybe some of the other spirits got really wasted on the grove? He couldn't know.

And then a ghost took the job of the killer. Oddly fitting. Also an unedible spirit.

However, what really made him open and squint his eyes in annoyance was the definitely feline smell coming his way and snatching the VERY JOB HE WAS CONSIDERING rudely, without asking anyone else. His visage curled in a snarl, his gaze becoming two narrow slits.

And then the younger Miya the Oni expressed her desire to join the Nekomata. Shiro smelled a ploy. A deft cunning move of the cat to actually capitalize and hog the glory for himself. Even though the fox had expressed her desire to join, and a cat had done aswell, Shiro could not let stand such foul play, companions be damned! Even if the Kirin hunt was growing appealing in his mind, for he could eat such a delicacy while they were at it, he had things to set straight.

So, he advanced on the back of the Nekomata and elongated his hand, hooked into a claw, clamping the rude fool's head, but not applying enough pressure to make it hurtful.

"HOLD. IT. RIGH. THERE." He snarled, lips curling, nose crinkling and fangs bared, denoting his disapproval. "What do you think you're doing, you feline swindler? Whisking away the winged lizard job for you and yourself only? AS IF! Were you trying perhaps to avoid people like me so you could give free reign to your crafty mitts and swindle the beast to your liking? I will not stand for it!" He snorted.

"And even if you are such a undesirable companion, I shall join the task. I will...be...watching...you." The wolf spirit snorted.

[Rekaigan]

Nemu

Of course Nemu knew that other people wanted to join this mission. But nobody was taking any initiative to try make a group to do it in the first place. Thus the cat had decided to take the quest so that anyone interested would actually step forward. Which is a plan that worked out quite well. He turned to the Oni and gave her a slight smile and a half bow, "Oh? Sure thing, my friend. Please do accompany me." He responded in formal speak, but in a casual manner. He turned away to continue on his original path, but he was interrupted by a... Ookami. Nemu felt a chill go down his spine again when it spoke to him. The spirits have failed me, again. He sighed inwardly, rolling his eyes. This guy was really.. obnoxious. What he'd expect from a wolf anyway.

He turned to the wolf, his expression full of irritation, "Who are you calling a swindler? If you want this job so badly, why didn't you do anything first? Like hell I'd do this job myself. It's a trick to pick up the quest so that those who want to join aren't lollygagging around like you." He retorted in an irritated tone. It was uncharacteristic of him to respond in such a fashion, but the mere scent, presence and attitude of this wolf really bothered him. He clicked his tongue in disgust as he turned to walk away, yet again. "Let's go, Oni-ko." He said with a sigh. He didn't know the girl's name, so he just decided to called her 'Oni child' since she was quite obviously younger than him.

Hopefully someone else who wasn't a disgusting canine with a bad attitude would join them. Hopefully another cat. Maybe. The chances were slim, especially with this doggy around.

@AtomicNut@Rune_Alchemist@Takashi

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Miya~

"Thank you, Neko." She replied with a friendly, if somewhat short manner. She didn't mean to sound rude, of course. The Oni just didn't really have much else to say. She wasn't all that much of a talker unless it was among someone she considered a friend, and even then it was only if she was spoken too. Or, unless she was going to berate someone for doing something incredibly foolish. Like this Ookami seemed like he was going to be doing.

She frowned, fixing the other spirit with a disapproving gaze.

"I can not say that Neko's actions are entirely justified, such an outburst is even less so. Making the situation worse is not appropriate behavior for the guild." She somewhat harshly replied as she followed after the cat. "I don't care if you accompany us, but please don't cause a problem if you do." With that, she was done and said nothing else. If he wanted to take issue with her words, that was fine, but she had said her piece and was done. Instead, she addressed the Neko she was going to be working with.

"You can call me Miya, Neko." She had to admit though, she found being called Oni-ko rather cute for some reason, but she didn't say anything.

@Rekaigan@AtomicNut

[sakurasan]

Nao nods. She was now as happy as could be. He seemed to be a man that perhaps didn’t mind appearances because with her somewhat “introduction” just then, she wasn’t sure if he would give her the time of day. Nao was just about to go on a search through her bag before the man let out a distressed groan. She frowned but nodded letting out a “OK.” silently. It saddened her that the man seemed to be uncomfortable but she didn’t have the right to pry since they had just met.
@Delta44
After watching him leave, she opened her bag again and searched for more of enchanted flower. However, it seemed that she had only brought one. This time, she was the one letting groan. Figures, I didn’t really expect to actually meet or talk to anyone today… I would need to go get it I suppose. Then, she heard a woman speak and was surprised that it was directed at her. “Yes, Kirin.” A simple response. This woman was beautiful and didn’t appear to be much older than herself. She smirked at the woman, of course an attempt to smile. “Have to go. Bye.” Bowing a bit as she walked past the woman but not before saying one last thing. "Join? Up there. You can." Her words were spaced but she pointed towards the way that Shurui had went and then went on past the woman, stressed by how rude she had automatically acted to the woman. Nao had simply requested she ask Shurui to join and not herself but I don't know if that got through. After she was away, she looked around rather quickly, not wanting anyone to watch her emerge back into the forest. However, she didn’t really check as much as turn her head both sides without actually taking anything into consideration. No one’s watching me so I shouldn’t need to check as much.
@Blight Bug
The forest walk was a comfortable as she changed back to her first form, running her hands through her curls slightly to get out some of the tangles. Nao sighed, at last she wasn’t feeling suffocated. However, she soon noticed a snake that seemed to be hurt. She frowned, her eyebrows burrowed. It was frustrating. This was obviously a simple act of cruelty and not a goal for anything of the sort. Most likely a human or a spirit but looking at the pain, it was leaning more towards a human. They were afraid of spirits but honestly, Nai was more fearsome of humans rather than spirits. “Hey… Let’s get you fixed up.” smiling at the snake that hissed at her, throwing surprising curse words at her as she held onto it. She threw a potion on it that caused it to stop moving. Honestly, they make me feel like a horrid being… After a while, the snake stopped moving and was now simply crying. She sang a short lullaby, calming him down.

"You're fine, you're okay.
The sun is up and it's staring you right in the eyes.
Don't let this setback bring you down~
Perfect one, perfect one, this is simply a hurdle you must pass~
You're fine, you're okay, i'm right here beside you and I won't hurt you at all~
So don't cry, don't mope, don't give up hope~
You're fine, you're okay, oh sweet angel~"

She sang for a while longer in perfect tune and an angelic voice until at last the potion kicked in and he had stopped moving as well as stopping his crying. He obviously didn’t like us and it was very visible by the way he reacted to every action. Fear. She popped open a potion, opening it with her teeth and spitting the cap out since she wanted to hurry up. The other potion would wear off soon. Placing it on its scales, saying a few words to activate the potion and leaving it there for a while before the snake finally started to move again, shocked at the fact that the pain was now gone. Smiling, she stood up, picking up the cap and putting the potion away once again. “Be careful please. I wouldn't want that happening to you again.” stroking its scales one last time before she took her leave.

Nao sighed as she walked. The snake had bit her. Luckily it wasn’t venomous I suppose.
Watching the blood drip as she licked some of it off. She had gotten used to the taste of blood by now but… The cut was quite deep. She shook her head and disregarded it for later. I’ll be getting home soon anyways I can probably get it before everyone starts leaving… Yeah, I think I can. As long as no one saw me I can easily sneak back in unnoticed and get started on the search~

[AtomicNut]

Shiro's frown did not leave the entire time when the cat snapped back, followed by the oni who somehow had been enthralled by his choice of words. Already giving trouble, wasn't he? Plus the Oni girl seemed to have some to say in the matter. No wonder, Shiro's voice had never been the craftiest nor the most polite. But he made a policy to not lie, nor make trickery if he could help it.

"I am not the one who wantomly broke the rules, neglecting fellow guildmembers a say on the matter. How can the guild trust a negotiator who uses tricks to get comrades? Get that right, you're not really helping towards making this entire venture successful if you don't abide what was set. First we choose teams, then we pick the jobs. I've seen draw blood for quarrels here, for reasons half as stupid as yours."

He threw his arms up. "But yeah, call me a moronic idiot, tell my yelling is unfitting, but in all honesty, which place is better to discuss things? Outside, on the wilds? Among humans who ostracize or fear us? What happens in the guild, it stays in the guild, cheeky brats." The wolf spirit snorted as he followed suit.

[Rekaigan]

Nemu

Nemu didn't even look back at the Ookami when he spoke. "I wouldn't say that I was trying to get comrades in the first place. Rather I just wanted to pick a job to do. Also I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say that I broke the rules. I don't remember a rule saying that I must wait for other people before taking on a mission." He said, letting out a sigh. He didn't know why he even bothered responding to such a half-wit and a dog at that.

"You may have seen blood drawn from quarrels, but you're probably the only one that's trying to start one." He added after a brief pause. He turned to his Oni companion and shrugged at her. "My apologies, Miya. I did not mean for someone like him to follow." He stated apologetically.

It wasn't long before they had left the main guild building, stopping near the front gates. He turned his gaze back to the Oni girl, "Is there anything you needed before we go? I assume this will take a few days." Personally, he didn't really need anything. Finding food wasn't that big of a deal for him, and shelter wasn't really high on the list of needs.

@AtomicNut@Rune_Alchemist

[Delta44]

Shurui sought to clear his mind of traumatic thoughts by preparing what he would need to bring for this expedition... not that there was much he could bring. Deciding on travelling somewhat light by his standards, Shurui grabs his kunai, two knives, and a small bag to put miscellaneous items in. He imagined this job would be fairly straightforward, however wouldn't come unprepared just in case something were to happen. After all, 150 years of experience will teach you some things.

The yurei manages to shake the thoughts from his mind, however he's soon enthralled by a picture sitting on his desk. It was a painting done by a friend of his some 130 years ago, when Shurui and his wife still lived. It was a simple sketch, without any colour, though was expertly painted in unprecedented detail. It was standing the test of time even now, however one could see the effects of time as the painting had begun to erode away from within the frame it was situated. Being the last thing in this world aside from his ring that Shurui could remember his wife by, he made sure it was well-kept and usually had it hidden away so nobody could see it. He stares at the picture for a good long while before letting out a sigh, grabbing his hat from the bed and putting it on, tilting it at the painting. "Don't worry, honey... I'll be with you soon. I promise."

With that, Shurui exits his room and waits by the staircase, over watching the ground floor from a floor above, waiting patiently for Nao and perhaps any other comrades she may have enlisted help with...