Candice Hallows's Story

Ashley “Ash” “Soot” Clade

"Okay, I think I've heard enough." Ash turned towards the source speaking, eying up the woman that had dragged the teen girl in amongst chains. For some reason, her expression and the dual set of claps irked her, though it did surprise her slightly to see a pointed finger aimed squarely at her.

"Hey, loser."

Immediately, Ash’s expression soured. She was not a loser, that was her line about every other person in the room. Even if Ash could respect a no-bullshit approach to things, she was still the alpha bitch in this room (Illusion didn’t count, she wasn’t human), so no matter how tough this woman was, she wasn’t going to accept any pretence that Rianne was better than her. She didn’t expect her and Ash to get along? Good. Heck, she wanted a fight, she’d get one soon enough. Ashley had been trying to be somewhat cordial, but then this tramp had to go and insult her and what she thought was a perfectly reasonable set of requests of the group. Ash thought to interject, but she was bigger than that. For now. Watching the woman take a cigarette, another annoyance to the biker, she thought perhaps the woman was done.

But no. She couldn’t leave good enough alone.

“…Acting like some playground bully because your insecurities keep you awake at night. 'Shut up and play along for now,' don't give me that crap. No one's ever worked properly as a team with a mindset like that, so why don't you get your head out of your fucking ass." Rianne continued, punctuating her comments by crushing her cigarette and sharing her name. Not that Ash hadn’t pegged this bitch’s name from the beginning. Still, she could feel it. Her blood boiling, but not just in irritation. In some respects, she enjoyed a good fight. It would do her good to let loose some of this pent up frustration.

“Rianne, huh?” Ash started simply, unfolding her arms and placing them on her hips. “ Shame such a nice name belongs to a bitch. That’s some mouth you got there for a holy woman. You’d think an old dog like you would’ve learned some manners by this point, but I guess you’re just scared that there might be a new girl in town who’s not afraid of your crap. If I’m the schoolyard bully, then you’re the dipshit that stayed back several years and runs the playground just ‘cuz they think they’re bigger and better.” Ash remained where she was, not making an effort to approach Rianne. Vaguely, she could hear some niceties being exchanged by the other children, but she didn’t care. Even Caius had been forgotten in this moment. This girl had challenged her, and Ash wasn’t about to take it without some sort of counterattack.

“You want me to get along with these dumbasses? They’re gonna have to earn it. Just like you. Sure, I get it, you’re a disgruntled badass cause you’re stuck here fighting demons since you’re too ugly to find yourself a man, and too stupid to move up the ranks to something worthwhile, but hey, maybe if you dedicate yourself you can be Arthur’s lapdog.” Ash shrugged with a smug expression, raising her hands into the air as she looked away. Seemed the rest of the group was leaving. Pivoting slightly, she began wandering away, calling over her shoulder.

“I get why you’re scared though - You’re gonna be old news Rianne. With us new devil-spawns being trained up, you’re gonna be obsolete before long. Get used to seeing my ass, cause you’re gonna be eating my dust for years to come. Your days are numbered.” Ash waved over her shoulder as she strode away with Rick and the others, praying that her final cool move would work. To her immense and smug glee, right on cue, her motorbike pulled up beside her, allowing Ash to climb on easily as it began to ride away, idly coasting behind the group and leaving Caius, Rianne and Illusion behind. But not before one last quip. “Later Pot. Try not to get too worked up, can’t be good for your heart with that shit in you.”

---

Sitting calmly in class, oblivious to the events occurring outside the room, was a single bright young exorcist doing his best to take notes on the material in class. He was still pretty low on the totem pole, barely more than a recruit at his lower 3rd class rank, but he knew that if he applied himself and worked hard, that would change. It didn’t matter that he’d been here a few months and hadn’t progressed. Or that he hadn’t gone on field duty at all. It didn’t even matter that he kept getting cleaning duty. The important thing was that he was here - The WDL - The place where he could truly put his skills as an exorcist to the test, and help fight off the demon threat.

Of course… It wasn’t exactly how he expected it to be. Granted, his ideas about glory and fighting off demons and what have you may have been exaggerated to begin with, but… Well, even as far as a school went, he’d had higher expectations. He wasn’t expecting to be popular by any means but… Well, he thought he’d have made SOME friends at the school. But no. He was a laughing stock. A joke. I mean, he enjoyed making people happy, but it still hurt. Just because he tripped when introducing himself to the class, some people thought he was incapable. It didn’t help he was constantly just cleaning, never on a mission… I mean, he’d prove himself eventually, but when were the brass going to take him seriously? Maybe he’d have to go speak with M-…Ms. Hallows and see about it.

When class ended, Kane inevitably got lumped with staying back and cleaning the room. It didn’t take him long – the students weren't particularly messy, and he was well practiced in it by now. Lumping the last of the garbage into the bin, Kane cautiously carried it in front of him, but he couldn’t really see. Sliding the class door open with his foot, he stepped out, though his second step caught on the lip of the door. The results were as expected.

“WahaHOAHH!” Kane went sprawling forward with a soft thud, tossing the bin flying forwards. In a mess of banana peels, paper, dust and other items, the poor teenager that had been standing outside the door was quickly pelted with the rubbish, culminating in the bin landing over his head with a soft ‘thunk’. Kane swallowed nervously as he got up, quickly moving to help the guy. “I’m so sorry! That was a total accident, I’m such a klutz! Here, let me help you clean off, uh…”

“Well, there they are.”

Word had travelled quickly throughout the base of the Children’s arrival- spread through emails, texts, passing remarks and conversation. Six out of seven! It wouldn’t be long before all would be gathered within the heart of the base, introduced to one another, made to unlock their birthrights and become proper soldiers. There were some who were nervous about the whole thing. The WDL had been founded to rid the world of the inhuman, and now they were taking a full set of apocalyptic halfbreeds into their arms? It wasn’t right.

Of course, that was only some. Just as many fell throughout the spectrum, with a few landing on the far opposite. Excited, rather than wary.

Madison was one of those few.

Settled in the neighboring room of the projector’s, the staff lounge, they- “they” being himself and his companion- were able to watch the meeting through a small two-way mirror that connected the two spaces. Useful for observers who didn’t quite want to show their faces in a meeting or the like, although such an occurrence tended to be rare. They were waiting there simply because it was the easiest way to watch without interrupting the meeting.

And because the place was rather comfortable, admittedly. The wallpaper was a muted blue, the floors a polished walnut. Madison had set a pot of tea to boil some time ago on a communal hot plate, and from a nearby radio came the wan voice of Sinatra’s “My Way.”

“Look at how close Ms. Himemiya is to Mr. Black,” Madison said. One hand was tucked beneath his chin, the other resting upon the tabletop before him. As he gazed into the dark hall before them, he took a moment to smooth out the front of his dress- Madison had taken the day off for the occasion, made obvious by the soft evening orange of the researcher’s sundress. “It looks like some of them are getting along well already. Marvelous.” The comment was made in complete sincerity- the smile on his lips was enough of an indication of that. Stretching his shoulders, Madison sat up in a more proper position, watching Rick’s presentation with interest. The pin on his arm glinted with the movement.

“And it seems that Mr. Brackwall’s taking his leadership well. I’m glad. Given how many entered all at once, I’m sure that this will be especially overwhelming. For everyone, really.”

His hand brushed upon the briefings placed upon the desk, as if in emphasis of his point. In their crisp manilla folders, there was little indication of their contents, aside from the stamp on the front labelled “BRIEFING” in fresh ink.

“Hopefully they’ll take all of this alright, and- oh!” Madison suddenly rose, head turning towards the kettle. “I think that the tea is ready. Would you like some, Candice? It’s chai, if you don’t mind.”

Kane listened to Rianne and Yohan with due respect, pleasantly nodding to confirm he was paying attention. The sister seemed hesitant to accept his praise of her, going as far as to outright state she didn’t think he should look up to her. Though he agreed with the idea that he should aim to be his own person, he saw no reason not to see the good Sister Rianne had to offer. Nobody was perfect, but those who strived on despite their flaws, those who sacrificed themselves for others. Kane respected that. Even if Sister Rianne didn’t believe in the strength of her character, Kane could see a strong light that burned brightly. A candle flame that refused to wither in the wind.

Yohan spoke something of water supplies, and Kane wondered if perhaps he’d distracted him from provision duties. Regardless, it seemed it was Rianne’s turn to apologise to the two, though Kane simply shook his head. “Not at all ma’am. I was the one wanting to be noticed, and you did an admirable job dealing with him.” Striding up, Kane extended his hand to clap into Rianne’s firmly, giving another one of his goofy grins. “Don’t think I didn’t mean what I said Sister. You’re special. I can see now more than ever what a privilege it would be to work with you. If you don’t think that’s the case, I’ll just have to prove it to you sometime.” Giving a slow shake, Kane withdrew his hand, turning to Yohan. “Sorry about the mess Yohan, I’ll make it up to you too. In fact…” Kane brought his fist down into the palm of his hand as an idea struck him.

“I’ve got some free time at dinner, we’ll do it then. We’ll meet at Sister’s room around six, and I’ll have a surprise cooked up. Ah! That means I better hurry and get ready.” Kneeling down, Kane picked up the rubbish bin, running off with it towards the garbage disposal before either had a chance to really refuse. This was going to be great! He’d have a chance to make some good friends, test out a new recipe, and maybe help cheer Sister Rianne up after her rough day. He was such a thoughtful fellow like that.

---

Candice Hallows

Shifting away from the window as she finally fixed her blouse, Candice slowly made her way back over to Madison to observe the children in the adjacent room, continuing until she was just a short distance away from the double mirror, arms folded as she scrutinised them. True to Madison’s word, they were all filing in; both the two children Candice personally had experience with, along with the four newcomers. She’d hoped to have the time to more intimately get to know each of the children, but with so many arriving at once; she might have to forgo an individual approach. A shame, she’d have to alter her lesson plan accordingly.

“Look at how close Ms. Himemiya is to Mr. Black, it looks like some of them are getting along well already. Marvelous.” Madison commented from behind Candice, the young man’s voice brimming with enthusiasm. Turning to glance at him, she nodded once, bringing a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her sunglasses, removing them only once she’d shut her eyes. “Indeed. Though that’s probably more familiarity then I was expecting. I’ll have to review Vesper and Jonathan’s files to see if I can glean a sense of their connection.” Replacing her glasses, Candice opened her eyes once more, listening to Madison’s observation regarding Rick and the group dynamics. Smiling lightly, Candice strode over to him, leaning her back on the countertop next to the researcher as she held her elbow with one hand.

“Rick is a fine student. I have no doubt in his capabilities looking after them, especially with my assistance and guidance.” Candice stated with a genuine air of confidence, lightly flicking her earing with her right hand. Madison continued, only to be interrupted as it seemed the tea was ready. Smiling, Candice turned to face him, approaching as he asked if she’d like to partake. “Is there any need for a question there Madison? I wouldn’t refuse one of your blends even if Arthur himself wanted my share.” Responding warmly, Candice waited and watched as Madison prepped her mug, though the WDL teacher slowly noticed something she’d missed earlier.

“My, is that a new dress Madison? Are you planning on impressing our new trainees?” Slyly grinning, Candice wasn’t exactly chastising Madison, more just finding it cute that the young man wanted to make a good impression on the children. She herself had dressed somewhat formally for the occasion, business pants and jacket, along with frilly red blouse and her fair share of jewellery. Taking her mug and savouring the aroma briefly, Candice slowly sipped hers, the temperature not bothering her in the slightest, briefly glancing to the radio as the station moved from Sinatra to Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock.

“Still, only time will tell if they’re suited to life here. It’s a big change to go from a normal life to one where the rules you know no longer apply.” Watching Rick begin to field questions, Candice continued to lean on the counter casually, a sign of her comfort in the presence of Madison. “After all, not everyone can adjust to this place as well as you did Maddie.” Candice commented, giving a soft laugh. To think the little boy she’d seen so many years ago would still be here, even after she returned. He’d certainly grown up into quite the fine young man, and the confidence and enthusiasm he had in who he was always helped bring a smile to her face.

Rick Brackwall

A full list of questions to be sure, but that was to be expected. Rick simply stood, not at all stirred by any of Jonathan's requests. While it was certainly a lot of information to impart Rick figured he had the means to keep the flow of the conversation on his terms.

"Those are some very good questions JoJo. I'm glad you asked." He calmly reached into a pocket in his coat, pulling out a slick touch-screen cellphone. "The nearest phone is mine."

Walking up right next to Jonathan he placed the phone right in front of him. "Feel free to settle your personal affairs while I take some other questions. Please try to keep your call limited to letting family members, roommates and former employers know you are fine and not to be returning."


With that said he stepped back, looking back over to the group as a whole. "Do not worry, your personal belongings will be collected and delivered to your rooms at the earliest opportunity."

Granting that hopefully comforting piece of knowledge he brought a single hand up to his chin, thinking well on who to address next. He considered Caius but since he just picked JoJo he didn't want the girls to feel as though they were being segregated in the picking order. With that said as Ash had a habit of not really listening his information in the first place he considered the fact that giving her a second opportunity to ask questions he likely answered the first time he welcomed her would be helpful. After her the rest of the questions period would fly past with veritable ease, save Caius perhaps.

"Firstly, to answer a couple of JoJo's questions yes we do get paid. Every member of the WDL earns an hourly salary plus bounty sums tied into what we like to call Hunts. These hunts are, put simply enough, missions assigned to members of the order to eliminate notably dangerous members of the supernatural population. Members higher up in the order get higher salaries and are in line to take more difficult Hunts in exchange for proportionately larger bounties."


He strode back to the projector, hands behind his back. "You all may have noted that nearly all members are armed at all times. This is no coincidence, after all we are a martial institution. Just as any militant organization we have cause to believe we may be attacked at any time. Given the exceptional nature of our opposition there is a significant emphasis on security at all times. With thanks to the strong hearts and minds of the good people in charge of the security for WDL we have the freedom to learn and grow in this hostile world."

Finishing off those two questions he extended his hand over to Ash, inviting her into the conversation.

"As I understand you've probably heard much of what I have to say Ash. Any questions to add or shall I continue with another?"

Rick Brackwall

“Where’s the catering?”

Ash was behaving herself rather well, joking aside. She didn't seem able to concentrate too well but it couldn't be helped.

”But seriously? Maybe later, Dick.”

"Anytime, Ash."


A short but suitable reply to her request. Having a one on one conversation with Ash later was no issue for him. If it meant she'd trust him more later the time invested would definitely pay off.

Lacing his fingers together he pushed his palms outward, stretching his fingers out with a small set of crackles. Unlacing his fingers he brought his right hand down to his side and the left out to point at Vistra.

"How about yourself Vistra? Any questions or concerns you wish to have addressed?"


Calm, casual, inviting, all those were things Rick exuded in his performance. It felt as natural to in as it was made to appear but that was all simply due to practice and conditioning. He could stand before a crowd of millions and break no less a sweat than he was here.

When the time came and all those millions would be demons on the ramparts he'd need that composure to cast the most taxing spells he'd of learned.

After being snapped at by Caius Vistra hung her head, and stuck to the back of the crowd. She didn't mean to upset him. Though, she supposed that he was a little upset due to the events they all had dealt with today. Hopefully later on she could patch up her not so great first impression.

She trailed after the group and gazed around her new home as she did so. New home. Huh. It definitely wasn't her father's house, but much better than living under a bridge. If they gave her a room, she hoped they'd let her spruce it up a bit. Her old room in Canada was rather small, but crowded in a warm way.

Caius was in the room they entered and Vistra made a point to avoid him. She sat down, and crossed her legs. The fact that Rick was going to explain everything to them made her feel alot better about everything. He even let them ask questions, making Vistra think of one of her old teachers. Rick was a bit like that.

Jojo went first, making good points. She eyed the phone. It had been a year since she talked to her father. If she was going to learn how to take care of herself here maybe her father would be safe. She missed him more than anything.

Ash, the girl who was the first to speak to Vistra went next. She leaned forward, waiting for whatever important question that would be asked. Instead she found herself smothering laughter down at her quip and the response Rick gave. At least it wasn't boring here.

Rick pointed to her next and she wasn't left caught off guard. 'Umm,' She absentmindedly scratched at on of the many scars on her arm. 'Well I'd like to call my father after Jojo is finished. And, will he be safe? Can I go visit him? Or can he visit me?'

Rick Brackwall

"Well I'd like to call my father after Jojo is finished. And, will he be safe? Can I go visit him? Or can he visit me?"

Rick nodded, considering his response for a moment. As her hand seemed to be absently pushing a sleeve up his eyes were drawn down momentarily to spot what appeared to be a small number of scars present on her arm, at least the surface of the arm which he could see right then.

While many would simply assume she would inflict self harm out of personal issues his degree of experience was far wider, his mind more explorative as a result. While there was many possibilities for him to ponder he could deduct without forming any unrealistic assumptions that a power of hers drew on her blood in order to function. Self harming just seemed out of character given her apparent nature. That is not to say of course there couldn't of been something deeper to her than what meets the eye. That were more than a few layers to himself after all.


"Excellent question Vistra! I can assure you that your father is under WDL surveillance and protection. There is nearly nothing we at WDL take more seriously than the safety of the families of those serving in our order. In addition there are specified days for family members to visit WDL grounds. Here-"

With a motion of his hand the stack of blank slides leap to his hand, sitting snugly in his grip. On one side of each sheet was a schedule for each of them, his very own schedule to be exact. It contained all the times for their classes along with their upcoming commitments and events pertinent to all members such as the family days Vistra was just asking about.

Taking a corner of each paper with his off hand Rick absentmindedly tossed a schedule in each of their directions, the sheet flying with keen precision and landing directly before each and every one of them.


"A schedule for you all to review at your own leisure. Hopefully it should help provide some more answers for you all."
He addressed the group generally.

Last but by no means the least headache was Caius. Rick simply looked over, his demeanor only a little more serious if only to show that he was taking Caius seriously whilst still remaining pleasantly calm. He wasn't taking Caius any more serious than anyone else mind you but it was just that: A show.

"Caius, anything on your mind?"

================================

================================

"Questions? I have a lot
but, I'm not and idiot to just
listen to all the answers given
after all, nothing is easily shared
especially the truth that cut like
a dull knife in ragged pain."

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██The sound of nearby footsteps, door opening and the room brightening, Caius knew that the others had arrived as he gave them a briefest of glances. He was actually in the middle of re-configuring his thoughts when they came, so they caught with a mixture of disgruntlement and confusion as his expression while scratching the back of his head. It's good no one pointed out his presence before them. That's because he was trying really hard not to recoil into the thinking that what's happening is impossible. But, really it was hard to do so.

Anyways, he took a seat even before the nerdy boy said so. That's because he still needed a few seconds to straighten himself and to prevent himself from directly rejecting everything happening around him. Once he had reclaimed his casual place, that was the only moment he was able to hear what the rule-kisser was saying or even took noticed that the lights were once again due to the projector being used. And what met his sights was the picture about of a man transforming into that beast. he had fought... the thing they call werewolf.

The guy was right about questioning his sanity, but there was no way he was crazy It was them who were. Anyway, he needed to have tolerance and so he did. The freak show was soon over and like some kind of two-bit class, a question and answer portion was thrown as the room brightened again. The first one on the plate was certainly not his friend, JoJo. His questions were reasonable enough and somehow made his head ache a bit as he massaged the bridge of his nose. It was mentioned about paper moving.... or spider monster attacking... The rest he could careless. "Tolerate. Open mind, Caius." That was his mantra and was actually for a very long time.

The answers that two-color eyed boy were actually in his ear and out next on the other. Well, he doesn't have any personal affairs that need any call or does he have anyone to call. He doesn't have any stuff that can be said as personal belongings. He already have everything he needed currently on his person. Then, the talks of hunts or everyone carrying weapons never interested him so, he zoned out and thought of other things. It didn't even registered to him when the Wednesday wanna-be was next on the list or that the girl who deemed all of them as siblings was called. The paper continuing his supposedly schedule also went unnoticed. He was off to his own world. The only time he was retrieved from that was when he heard his name. "Huh?"

He did not even hide the fact he wasn't listening as those golden eyes looked at the one who called him with a haze and a clear show of disinterest. There was a notable amount of silence as Caius really had no idea what was expected of him, when mental bells rang in his head. That's right, questions. "Oh. questions." He muttered to himself. Actually, there were a lot because his head was still swimming on many issues he has no idea about from the very beginning. There were questions like... Will his body change? Will he turn into something like that werewolf? Are there others like him, like them out there? What the fuck do they really want from him? From them? Will they ever let him go? Why was this happening NOW!? There were other questions, but those were some that echoed strongly inside of him.

But, he chose not to say it because he has no confidence that the guy would even answer it. He just has this feeling it won't be that easy and he hated it when his questions are like glossed over. You just answer it or you don't know. That's why he didn't bother. Still, he did have a very important concern. It took the top spot against the other questions inside of him. "Just one thing." He raised his index finger in the air to make a point. "I need a drink. Where's the bar?" This part, he was dead serious and wasn't joking at all. He really needs a drink to null his headaches and also to make himself stop from thinking. He hated using his brain for such annoying things. Just like that, his golden eyes cleared from that glaze of uncertainty. It was time for him to have a serious conversation with his good friend alcohol.

---

As Candice spoke, Madison had risen from his spot at the table and began to pace about the little kitchen space that the lounge offered, grabbing a pair of mugs, switching the hot plate off, pouring himself and his coworker tea from the kettle. Free from its confines, the scent of chai spread throughout the room, filling it with its mild spice.

“They must be quite close, then, if they met each other before we brought them together,” Madison noted. “After all, I’ve never seen Ms. Himemiya so comfortable with someone.” There was a soft plink as he set the mugs upon the tray, and drew a gallon of milk from the fridge. This went into a separate pitcher, which was set between the tea. After a moment of thought, Madison added a small dish of sugar and honey, then set the tray and its contents carefully upon the table.

“And while I’m sure that neither of you need it, if either you or Rick needs any assistance with the others, I would be more than happy to lend a hand. I’ve been hoping to ask the newcomers if I could take a few samples from them, but that most likely won’t make for the best first impression.” He laughed, gently, adding a bit of milk and honey into his cup and stirring it.

Madison did not speak for a bit, concentrated on the chai. It wasn’t anything fancy- just a few packs of the stuff he had bought on a trip outside the WDL- but it was still good by his standards. If he was honest with himself, Madison wasn’t too fond of the tea that was shipped into the base. Off-brand, with a taste that was more akin to syrup than anything else. He was hardly a tea connoisseur, but he still made an effort to stay as far away from the base’s supply as possible.

Yes. This was far preferable, in his opinion. Madison threw in a pinch of sugar, then brought the mug to his lips.

“It won’t be immediate, that’s for certain.” His eyes had turned back to the window, where a few of the children had begun asking questions. He gave a small chuckle as one of them asked about a bar- Madison knew that urge quite well, himself- but for the most part, he simply watched. “My family has always been here, of course, but it seems like a few of them are a different case. They’re leaving behind everything for a life they didn’t even know existed before today. Hopefully they’ll get as fond of the place as we are.” Another swig of the tea, followed by a faint sigh.

At Candice’s observation, Madison gave a short blink in surprise, before smiling brightly at the woman. “You noticed?” He asked. “I bought it a few weeks ago, and it was just lying in my closet up until now. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion, and, well. Now seemed as good of a time as any.” He laughed, gently, brushing a few stray locks of hair back into place.

“Your outfit is quite lovely, by the way. The necklace is a nice touch.”

He lifted the mug, inhaling the steam deeply.

“I can’t wait until we can go out and meet them.”

JoJo picked up the phone, grinning at Rick in appreciation as he began to dial the number he knew by heart. He pulled the phone to his ear, moving to the back corner of the room away from the others for at least a tiny bit of privacy. He waited anxiously as the phone rang, half concentrating on it and half concentrating on Rick and the others. It rang and rang, and he swore under his breath. As the call ended, he hung up before trying again. Hopefully Dawn would realise who it was and would pick up this time.

No deal. JoJo sighed hard as he tried for the third time, this time deciding to leave a voice message. "Hey Dawn, it's JoJo. I was just calling to tell you that I'm fine and that I, uh, probably won't see you for.. a while? Some crazy stuff happened that you wouldn't believe, heh. Anyway, hope you and Iggy are doing well. Don't break my console or I'll kill you. Uh, bye. Don't call this number back. That'd be.. That'd be really awkward." JoJo ended the call, the voicemail being sent to his friend as he walked over to Vistra, hanging her the phone, before moving back over to his seat at the table.

He tuned back into the conversation in time for Caius' question- but also for JoJo to realise his most important question had been answered. The paper in the room seemed almost unnatural, although somehow Rick was also quite unnatural himself. JoJo still had that bitter taste in his mouth, and he'd also wondered how Rick had known exactly what type of crazy monster to conveniently pull up. Maybe they had files documenting their lives here? JoJo grumbled to himself, wondering just what was being hidden from them. Honestly, if these guys were the types to constantly be hiding things, JoJo was going to book a flight back to the US as soon as possible- and he'd totally drag Vesper along too. Sure, he wanted to spend time with his new family and all, but they weren't exactly JoJo's focus at the moment. Although, if it came to it, JoJo would gladly bring them along for the ride outta here as well.

"This place has a weird feeling to it. Although.. I'm sure it's just Rick trying to make us feel more at home or something. Maybe he's actually a super antisocial person and is just forcing it? I'm not letting him weasel out of my paper question, though, not a chance in hell. If there's magical spider girls, there's magical humans, too. Or paper demons.

But are we really safer here?"

---

'I've provided what you asked at the location specified.
I very much look forward to seeing what you have to show me.

- :)'

Within a few moments of the button being pressed, Leviathan's phone would vibrate in his hand as a reply was delivered.

Leviathan's phone lit up as a message was received;

"In five minutes the package will be acquired.
Please be at the location to witness retrieval.
The men that will restrain you will mean no harm and will leave when the package is out of sight.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Tor."

As promised, Leviathan only had to wait for five minutes until, right in front of Helena, two black vans pulled to the curb. A man, a blade at his waist, exited the car. He walked up to Helena, crouching down before her. He looked her right in the eyes, and spoke. "Helena Kingsley. We're here to take you someplace safe." He lifted a small container from his pocket as she focused on his face, spraying her with it. The concoction in the container was potent, and the girl would've dropped her phone as she fell. The man grabbed her, hoisting her up onto his shoulder as he began carrying her to the back of the van.

If Leviathan had agreed to the instructions, he'd be accosted by two men who grabbed his arms and pushed him to his knees, a third pointing a gun at his head. Helena would be 'accidentally' turned on the man's shoulder, allowing her to see Leviathan through half-closed eyelids as he did what any good father would do. However, for poor Hel, the back doors of the van would quickly shut behind her.

A man sat beside her, keeping a close eye on her as she lay on the floor and the van drove away. The men restraining Leviathan would let him go, nodding briefly and muttering apologies under their breaths before getting into the second van and taking off.

---

A little while away from the group in the auditorium and just down the road from where Kane, Rianne and Yohan were, an Exorcist clutched his head. The flashbacks kept haunting him, day and night, but still that was no reason for him to have antagonised them like that. Lately, he felt as if something was pulling at him; plucking at his insides and making his blood boil for absolutely no reason at all. He slammed his fist into the wall, grunting angrily as he stormed away. The meeting wouldn't wait- his flashbacks could. "I swear to God." He began to walk again, idly noticing a cat wandering down the opposite side of the road as him. He glared, and the cat seemed to glare back before running around into a nearby alleyway. He sighed hard, shaking his head. "Animals." He straightened up, shaking his head to clear it as he resumed his march to the building in the center of the WDL complex at full speed.

Rick Brackwall

"I need a drink. Where's the bar?"

Walking past Caius Rick simply gestured to the paper before him. It now had an address written near the bottom. It was a pub that was fairly popular among a number of the third class exorcists. Decent wings apparently, although Rick would never know as such an establishment was of no interest to him.

"It's on your schedule sheet."

He simply informed him as he passed by on his way to the doorway. As he opened the door he turned to address the group, standing in the exit as he did.


"With your questions answered I feel it's only appropriate to show you all to where you will be staying. After you are settled into your living quarters I will provide a tour for any who wish to learn their way around the WDL grounds and afterwords lunch for those who've yet to eat. Since it's your first day here I'll handle the bill, naturally."

He stepped through, allowing passage for the rest of them as he waited on the other side.

"Oh and Vistra-" He motioned to her from beyond the doorway. "Once you are finished your call do please remember to return my phone to me."

Rick Brackwall

It was almost as if Illusion knew his test of leadership was going too well and decided to throw another obstacle in his path to a smooth execution. After basically insulting the girl she had brought forth she disappeared, leaving him to pick up the pieces.

“Oh. Um. Hello. Sorry, I didn’t, um. I was Jojo's roomate, back home. I'm Dawn Memoli, but Principal Illusion already told you all that.”

At this point he was not surprised by the going trend that everyone JoJo ever met would show up here. The man certainly dragged a lot to this place when he arrived. Nonetheless Rick seemed no less pleased to meet her as he did the others.


"A pleasure to meet you Ms. Memoli. My name is Rick Brackwall. I see you've met our esteemed principle Ms. Illusion. I must say, what she lacks in tact she makes up for in spacial transit."

He shook her hand, his grip steady yet gentle. He was nothing if not polite to the new arrivals of the WDL, a standard policy for him. There was never a reason to be rude to someone. If he had grievances to settle he'd settle them properly.

"Thank you so much. It's been a year since I talked to my Papa and it's a big relief to know he'll be safe."


"I'm glad to hear that. Anytime you wish I'll lend my phone so you may contact him."

At least until they were given the clearance to own phones of their own and talk to their family freely. They'd need to start grasping their responsibilities first though. That much he was fairly certain.

"You're not a rabbit."


Rick questioned the response but had nothing to say once Ash chimed in.

“With that ‘genius’ insight from Vesper, I’d like to keep moving, and eat sooner rather than later - before we end up meeting the clown JoJo had for his third birthday party.”

Not much love for diplomacy this day it seemed.


"All joking aside though Ash does have a point. We should continue onward."

He turned and motioned for Dawn to follow as he started walking on his way to lead the rest to their rooms.

"Come, Dawn. I'll offer explanations on the way. I'm just showing everyone to the dormitories at this present moment."

Candice Hallows

“Fond might be a bit of a stretch, Madison.” Candice smirked, though quickly hid it behind her mug as she drank. She didn’t comment much more than that, leaving it to Madison’s imagination to determine what she meant by that. Instead, the conversation moved to that of their state of dress, Madison sharing his own compliment to Candice. Smiling some more, she rubbed her necklace between her fingers. It was quite nice. “I appreciate the sentiment Madison. I suppose we’re both a little vain.” Returning her mug to the sink and giving it a wash, she could hear Madison’s enthusiasm in his voice without even needing to hear the words.

“We’ll see when we get that opportunity. No need to overwhelm them any more than we already have at this point.” Returning her cup to the drying rack, there was a slight knock on the other door, before it opened, a middle aged man poking his head in. “Ah, here you are. I put the reports about what we’ve prepared for boot camp on your desk.” The man spoke, looking to Candice. He was tall and athletic looking, with short, dark hair and the typical uniform of the WDL. Nodding to him, Candice turned back to Madison to excuse herself, promising to catch up again as she headed out towards her office. “Thank you Bailey. Your dedication is a blessing.” Candice commented, receiving a taut salute in response. As he did, the large, metal and ornate looking gauntlets became apparent; emblazoned with symbols. “You needn’t praise me like that ma’am. Just doing my job as usual.” Stepping back as Candice moved up to leave, he gestured to let her lead, seeming to be quite the polite gentleman.

Walking down the hall with the young man, Candice spoke up first as a thought dawned on her, looking to Bailey skeptically as she spoke. “One moment Bailey, didn’t I ask Mara to provide me the report?” She asked, watching Bailey’s expression change a moment before he laughed, shrugging it off. “Well, that’s true, but she said she was really busy with some things. I didn’t mind at all, kept me busy.” He chuckled, but immediately stopped as he caught Candice’s stern expression. “You shouldn’t let her boss you around like that. She can’t keep shirking responsibility here, and as her superior you should be making a point of setting a precedent of what’s expected.” Narrowing her glare at Bailey, the man put up his arms in a calming gesture. “Y-Yes ma’am. I’ll do that.” Despite his words, Candice didn’t seem to calm too much. “I’m disappointed in you. You’re a fine fighter on the field, you just need to develop some backbone here at the offices.” Candice lectured, Bailey continuing to nod with the occasional mutter of apology and agreement. In the end, Candice sighed, giving up on the topic. It seemed Bailey was always going to be that kind of submissive person that people took advantage of, and no amount of Candice doing the same was going to change that.

Changing subject to the report and the upcoming training camp, Candice asked a few questions, such as which exorcists would be taking charge of the training, the various provisions needed, as well as any explicit instructions from Arthur. Satisfied that things seemed to be going smoothly (Probably more so than expected since Bailey was now in charge), she dismissed the young man, heading in to her office to look over her paperwork for the day. Though Illusion was principal in name, a lot of her work did tend to be delegated down the chain, and inevitably ended up at Candice’s desk for approvals or administration. Thankfully, Candice was fairly fastidious and meticulous in her work. Settling in, she began scanning over the report, making certain that everything would be prepared for the day.

| ??? |

Simple. Efficient. It was exactly as it had been told. A moment of vulnerability, a chance to alter the system. A delicate process, but thankfully, the knowledge that had been bestowed on the individual gave them intimate details of the inner workings of the man-machine hybrid. It was a small window, but all that was needed to make the necessary changes. The files were already prepared beforehand; it was just a matter of slipping them in undetected. When ORIN went through the standard maintenance reboot that was when the window opened. Both the system files, and ORIN’s memories needed to coincide, and the only way for that to happen without her noticing was this precise time. Quickly, flawlessly, the plan was executed, adding in the files as needed before slipping away silently. Now there’d be no further questions on that front. Perfect.

---

---

| Rinne |

Two hands gripped Candice's shoulders from behind as she sat in her chair, a smooth voice whispering right into her ear. "Meow." Candice turning to look behind her would yield no results, although she likely knew that already. A few moments later, a small black cat leaped up onto Candice's desk, looking over at her and stretching before laying down on said desk, eyeing her lazily. "Now, how on earth did you get in here?" Candice asked the small feline with some apprehension before sitting up, moving over to her open office door and slowly pushing it shut. The cat simply turned, meowing at Candice again- there was a smugness to the meow, though. She felt like it was flaunting something, especially since the cat stretched its front legs, still eyeing her with those lazy, smug eyes. "You know this is highly unorthodox. I thought we agreed that you'd keep contact to a minimum." Candice stated, folding her arms as she leaned back onto the door to ensure it remained closed. "Not to mention that 'you-know-who' has eyes everywhere." The cat leaped down behind the desk, and for a moment all was quiet. A few seconds later, though, a woman stood up from behind the desk. A small purr escaped her smirking lips as she leaned down and put her chin in her hands, eyeing Candice lazily. "Oh? And I thought I was a welcome visitor.." She slowly stood up, moving around to the side of the desk closest to Candice, and sitting upon the edge.

She was decked out in her usual combat suit, with a fair amount of gear to match- and her treasured twin revolvers sat, polished, at her hip. "I was sent to the area, and I decided to pop in for a moment to check on you." Her smug smile dropped a little as she looked the teacher over. "You look tired. And stressed. Paperwork always was a bother, so I don't know why you subject yourself to it. I could never handle all the writing."
"Work can do that, but at least this way I can see to it that I'm making a difference." Candice replied, giving a faint smile. "Some things are worth the trouble. I take it you know that more of the children have arrived?" She inquired, remaining against the door frame, obviously still worried about being found out. Rinne nodded, chuckling softly. "I do, but I wasn't dispatched here to harm them or anything." She raised her hand passively. "There's been rumours of some unnatural activity somewhere in the region- the WDL themselves requested we look into it. Figure they'd rather us die and not them if it's something big and nasty." Rin slowly stood up, motioning for Candice to come over to her with her pointer finger. "Besides, there's some business I have to attend to. Involving Kane."

Her expression dropped ever so slightly, and she crossed her arms. "You've been keeping the poor kid in the pits, haven't you?" Candice was being sneaky- she was using her glasses to hide her reaction, but Rinne had known her for a long time, so that trick was lost on her. "Unnatural activity, hmm?" The blonde teacher brought a hand to her chin to think. "Care to elaborate on that?" She added, blatantly trying to get one over on the Kasha soldier. Rinne adjusted her own sunglasses as a subtle 'no' to Candice, moving over to the other woman slowly. "You're being slippery, and I won't let it happen. Why is Kane sweeping up trash when much less qualified Exorcists are getting sent out on duty?" Rin crossed her arms, now close enough that she looked down at Candice as she spoke- her height made this an often occurrence, and Rin always enjoyed petting the shorter lady's head as an affectionate, if not slightly smug, gesture.

"Kane offered to, and it's to be expected. He's not prepared for the field, and if I was to send him out it would likely be seen as some sort of favoritism." Candice explained calmly, apparently not intimidated at all by the taller feline, although Rin was glad this was the case, as she wasn't exactly trying to be intimidating. Looking up to meet Rinne's gaze, Candice raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "He'll have his opportunity once he manages to improve his test scores a bit."
"The test scores you've been incorrectly marking?" Rinne's tone was flat- apparently she herself had been doing some searching- or maybe she just knew Candice all too well to think that her being Kane's teacher was good for the boy actually getting out to the place he wanted to be. "Kane offered to because you asked- you offer to do plenty work I'm sure, but you don't want to, do you? Your goals are much larger, yet you burden yourself with tasks because you think it's the nice thing to do." Rinne paused. "You're stifling him, Candy."
Rin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly behind her glasses as she looked at the woman before her. "And it's not favouritism when everyone else gets to go too." Rinne added.

Candice averted her gaze from the feline, looking down to the doorknob she had her hand on, and Rin noticed. To Rin, it was almost as if she was a nervous soldier looking for an escape route- Rin knew Candice had been messing poor Kane around just from the way she was acting so defensively- like an overbearingly overprotective mother. Rinne paused a moment. That's kind of what she was, in fact. Rinne chuckled inwardly. Finally, Candice looked back up to Rin. "You know what's out there. How dangerous it is. It's different for you and me, I know nothing's going to happen to us, but him..." She trailed off, looking to the side as she sighed. "You know what he means to me. I have a duty. An obligation to see to it that he stays safe. I've been against him joining me here from the start, but you insisted."

She pushed off of the door, moving up to Rinne, and attempting to stand some ground and force her back. "Stifling or not, it's for his own good. I couldn't stand if anything happened to him." Rinne put her finger on the bottom of Candice's chin and forced her to look up and meet her gaze. "You think I don't worry about him? You think I don't get scared that he might get injured, maimed or worse? Candy, please, he's my nephew." She sighed, looking down at the worried lady. "What happens if the barrier falls and Kane gets in a fight he cant run away from, Candy? Give him some experience. A taste. Something to let him decide if it's worth it, or if he doesn't want to risk his life. At least let him train- we both know that classes and combat tests only go so far. They don't prepare you for a succubus trying to get into your pants, nor do they prepare you for a wind demon stealing your breath from your lungs when they get close."

Rinne dropped her hand, moving it to clutch Candice's shoulder softly, smiling sheepishly at her less than PG choice of examples. "I'll be in the area. Take him with you somewhere- that way if he needs to have an eye kept on him, you'll be there. Besides, if anything happens, you know I'll come back you up as soon as possible." She smirked and leaned down to whisper into Candice's ear, her voice sultry, yet barely audible. "But, mind you, a wind demon isn't the only thing that's been able to take my breath away." She took a step back, turning to move back over to the desk. "If you don't take him out, he'll end up depressed, and upset, and he's too nice to say it but he might end up disliking you." She turned, leaning on the desk with one hand. "Candy, take him with you on your next outing, or I'll kidnap him." She stared directly into Candice's eyes as those last words left her mouth- she was dead serious.

Candice stopped, hesitating as she seemed to contemplate her options and think it over. Shaking her head, she sighed again, taking a step back towards the door, gripping the handle. "Though I question the nature of your examples, your point still remains. He's going to need to go on a mission at some point, it's just..." She paused, and looked back over at the Kasha lady she was speaking to. "I'll think about it. I certainly can't take him with me - that would definitely constitute favouritism. How about we leave it until after this boot camp, then I'll see to it that he either gets to go on a mission, or I'll bring him on one?" Candice asked, but once again Rinne knew her too well to fall for her tricks. She was trying to buy time, and Rin wasn't going to have any of it. She grinned slyly as Candice gripped the handle. "I wouldn't open that door if I were you, Candy."

Her face relaxed into a smirk as she beckoned Candice over; she couldn't resist getting a little smug jab at the other girl. "Well, there's plenty of demons who try to seduce me, you know. I'm quite the catch, as I'm sure you'll agree." Her smirk grew a bit smug as she stood properly, but the two ears on her head perked up as she zoned in on two words that left Candice's mouth. "Boot camp? Why not take him to boot camp? That seems super reasonable. And at this point, Candy, I think his cohort will be glad to see he's not stuck with cleaning duty this time." She sighed hard. "Although his cohort seem more like to make fun of him because he doesn't get to show off the skills he has, and instead if their laughing stock due to his clumsiness. Also!" Rinne pouted at Candice, a little irked by something. "Are you saying that my training didn't make him at all competent on the battlefield? I will fight you right here and right now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Candice replied astutely, remaining at the door with the handle in her grip. "And unlike you, I have rules and regulations I have to follow. Suffice to say though, you've made your point, and I'll work to change things at the earliest convenience." She added, ready to open the door to allow Rin to leave. "Besides, there's no need for us to fight. I know I can never win against you." Rinne grinned. "Because I'm stronger, cooler and faster than you- and also because you know you couldn't hurt this face, am I right?" She quite enjoyed teasing Candice, in fact it was something she absolutely loved to do. She couldn't help herself, the girl was so darn cute! Despite her internal monologue, she sat back down on the desk, turning to look out the window. "You know, now that business is out of the way.. it's a little rude to just want to toss me out, isn't it?" She kept her gaze outside, watching a pair of birds land on the gutter of a nearby building together. "Do you watch Kane in class? Does he seem happy, Candy? How many people does he talk to? He could make some friends on that boot camp, and you'll be there to keep an eye on him. Seems pretty fair to me." Her smirk appeared to have vanished, replaced by a somewhat blank expression, but since her face wasn't in Candice's direction, it was hard to tell.

Candice, outside of Rin's view, paused, releasing her grip on the door handle as she looked over to Rinne pensively. Sighing, she threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "It's for both our sakes. I'd rather not have you with an O at the start getting more wise to us than she already is." Rinne heard footsteps, then felt Candice's back press against her own as the teacher leaned against her. "If you're really that worried about him, I'll see what I can do. I promise." Candice stated genuinely, her stubbornness fading. Like she had said, she knew she could never win against Rin. She was being played like a fiddle, but.. well, she didn't entirely mind it.

A few moments of silence passed before two arms wrapped tightly around Candice, pulling her into a warm embrace. The Kasha was still looking away, her cheeks slightly reddened with embarrassment as she hugged Candice close. She sighed softly, turning to rest her chin on Candice's head. "I'm still mad at you for coming here and making it so damn hard to get to you. Legendary soldier or not, do you know how annoying it is the avoid Exorcists, your surveillance, and try to not give myself away? You couldn't have picked a much worse place to end up, Candy." Rinne closed her eyes, going quiet as she enjoyed being close to the 'stern teacher of the WDL Academy'. "Besides, even if there wasn't any business to attend to, I would've come to visit you anyway. I miss you, Kane too, and you suck for coming here." She smirked slightly.

It'd been at least two months since she'd last seen Candice, so her hug was tight and warm and almost overwhelming. Rin could die any moment of any day in her profession, so she naturally she wanted to see the teacher as often as she could. Her grip on Candice tightened slightly as she closed her eyes, greatly enjoying the press of Candice's body against hers. A long, contented sigh left her lips as he opened her eyes as Candice spoke.

"About as annoying as you were about me bringing Kane on a mission." Candice replied, mildly teasing the feline girl. "You know you could just wait until after work hours at my home? At least then we'd have some privacy... From eavesdroppers." Rinne chuckled softly, poking Candice's nose in a mocking angry gesture complete with a fake pout. "I hate you for adding that onto that sentence, you tease." She pulled away from Candice, her eyes sparkling a little as she stood up. "Maybe I'll pop back around later on so we can have some of that privacy you mentioned." She paused, giving Candice a sly smirk. "From eavesdroppers." She turned away, before suddenly spinning on her heel and leaning down to give Candice a quick smooch on the forehead. "I'm gonna go hunt down Kane and give him the good news-" She clicked her fingers before pointing at Candice, laughing lightly, "-don't disappoint him, now, or I'll spank you!" She made her way over to the window, giving the other woman a grin as she shifted back into her feline form and leaped out of the window in one bound.

Back in the room, Candice remained seated at her desk, dumbfounded a moment. Slowly, she got up, moving back to her seat, flopping into it with a soft sigh. Bringing her hand to her forehead, she gave it a soft wipe, staring at her pair of fingers. "The things I get myself into..." She trailed off aloud, before bringing her two fingers to her lips. "Love you too."

---

---

| Angel |

A small platoon of soldiers had surrounded Yohan, weapons raised. The blonde who lead them sighed heavily, sword at his waist. "Alright, let's escort him to the prison cells." He spoke with a degree of authority, arms crossed as he looked over the boy. He turned on his heel and began to walk, several soldiers moving alongside Yohan. They pushed him, and he followed- no use getting into trouble right here. The Exorcist who lead the team, Angel, sighed in frustration. "It's required that all Exorcists report suspicious persons when they're spotted. I'll make sure that Rianne lady gets a talking to." He uncrossed his arms, letting his hand fall down onto his blade and rest there as he strode through the grounds. He was at the head of the group, idly tapping the hilt of his weapon as his long strides lead him and his group through the academy grounds, towards a very specific location. "Oh, ya sacka shit, how dare ya come in 'ere 'n blah blahblah blah-" Angel cut himself off. Was he making fun of Rianne being uncultured still? He shook his head and groaned- he'd have to apologise at a more prudent moment. Maybe he'd let her off the hook this once; she definitely knew that she'd disobeyed a pretty serious rule already.

Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, the troupe crossed paths with a ragtag group of people standing outside of (or mostly outside of) the Academy doorway- most of them were without armbands. He paused for a second, looking them over, then noticing one Rick Brackwall with the group. He nodded at him, motioning for his men to pause as he did so. "Ah, Rick, I was wondering if you'd be able to, at your earliest convenience, get that.." Angel's lip curled, but his pleasant smile remained, "lovely.. Principal of ours to attend the Council meeting. She seems to be running somewhat late." He gave Rick a curt nod and, bowing to the others, returned to his group of men, motioning for them to walk once more as they began to make their way to the military base portion of the WDL grounds, to put Yohan behind bars for future questioning, or something.

His headache hadn't left him, and neither had the nightmares.

---

---

| ??? |

The lights flickered on in the dark room, a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. It barely illuminated the room the girl was in, and she grunted as she struggled in her chair. She hadn't seen them coming at all, so when the blank slammed into her face, she couldn't dodge it. She groaned, looking up as a person entered the room. "Ah, my apologies. We almost lost you, dear. Now, if you'll just hold still.. we want to help you get better. Much, much better."

Ashley “Ash” “Soot” Clade

It seemed like it was impossible for the group to go more than a few steps before another interruption, Ash impatiently tapping her foot and growing more agitated and hungry after each one. First another girl was added to the group, then they were stopped by a golden haired pretty boy who acted just a little too full of himself for Ash to like him at first glance. Not that she liked many people at first glance. Tuning out most of the conversation, the next stop was the dorm building, a place Ash was already well acquainted with. Briefly, she noticed her bike parked out front and reminded herself she’d have to work out exactly what the deal with it was. If it was alive she’d have to learn to work with it to some extent, and if it was going to disappear anytime she went inside somewhere that was going to get inconvenient fast.

Ignoring her bike for the moment, she joined the others in heading up to their floor, deciding to neglect the tour of what she assumed was rooms very similar to her own, and instead deciding to take the opportunity to have a brief rest in her bedroom until it was time for lunch. Maybe that would help take her mind off her stomach? Stepping into her room, she called down the hall for Rick to grab her when they were going before shutting the door, striding inside. Like the others, it was bare inside. All that remained of her belongings was left neatly in the corner of the room, but it was far less than what she’d originally packed; no doubt a result of the incident before her arrival. Thankfully, there was at least a bed provided as she flopped face down onto it, giving a deep sigh before rolling over and staring up at the ceiling. She told herself she was staying in here to take her mind off her stomach. But that wasn’t really the reason, was it?

**********************************************************

“Hey! Hey, can me and Louise come to the ball too?” The eager young girl looked up to her sisters with bright blue eyes, clutching her doll in front of her in anticipation. She was a small young thing, little more than five or six, and always eager to join in on the games with her elder sisters. “Uh… Sorry Ash, Louise can’t come.” The youngest of the trio, Penny, spoke up; not meeting eyes with Ashley as the other two sisters began snickering with laughter. “What?! Why?!” Ashley asked indignantly, pouting a bit as she looked to them in surprise, her face falling significantly. Why wouldn’t they want to play with her? She just wanted to join in…

“She needs a dress to go to the dance, stupid.” The 2nd eldest, Jasmine was the next to speak, pointing to Ash’s doll, Louise. “She can’t go looking like that.”

“B-but Louise is like me – she doesn’t like wearing dresses…” Mumbling to herself with her head downcast, it was barely audible enough for the other girls to hear, but it was enough for the eldest sister, Cindy, to pounce. “Well maybe she should sit out and play with her toy cars like you! Haha!” A chorus of laughter went out amongst them as Ash began to sniffle to herself, wiping the beginnings of her tears from her eyes. It was true that she normally played with the cars her daddy gave her, but she still wanted to play with her sisters.

“Come on, I just want to join in…!” Ash was sobbing a little now, blubbering as she wasn’t able to hold back her tears. Still her sisters laughed at her. “Aww, poor Sooky Sooty’s upset!” “As if we’d let a cry-baby in to the dance!” “Louise is probably a wuss like you too!” The demoralising laughter continued to echo about the room, and no matter how much the little girl protested, she was not heard. Finally, she could take no more, crying out as loud as she could. “Fine! I don’t care! I didn’t even want to go to your stupid ball!” Tears streaming down her face, Ash ran from her sister’s room and down the hall, escaping to the solitude of her bedroom. Sobbing into her bed, she continued to cry to herself. No matter how many times she said it, she couldn’t convince herself otherwise. She would’ve loved to play with them…

**********************************************************

Ash awoke with a start, sitting up swiftly. Slowly, she released her legs as she uncurled slightly, before falling back down to lie on top of the bed, sighing a bit. Why’d her mind drift back to then? Things were different now. As far as the others were concerned, she was a part of their group. She was invited to this lunch, whether out of friendship or obligation. She didn’t have to act like she didn’t care or anything. She didn’t have to worry about any of that stupid stuff. Frustrated, she grabbed her pillow and tossed it against the wall. It was stupid, and so was she for letting it still bother her. Even if she kept on telling herself to relax, there was always that nagging thought reminding her to keep her guard up. That’s what this was about. Just the perfect memory to remind her that anyone could turn on her. Even family.

By the time it came to the tour, Ash was feeling a bit more sombre. She’d lost a lot of her appetite, but it was steadily coming back to her as she looked over the different facilities, taking note of the ones that interested her. She’d definitely give the gym and sports facilities a work out at some point, not to mention she’d have to head in to the maintenance garage at some point to tune her bike. She was dimly aware that they now had ANOTHER tag along, but she made no effort to be friendly with her. It was hard enough maintaining a semblance of pleasantry this long, and she saw no need to push herself any further, especially in her now, much fouler mood. Finally however, the formalities were done and they got to head to a restaurant. It was a fancy looking place, well ritzier than Ash would have ever considered entering of her own accord. Still, she wasn’t going to be paying, and free food was nothing to scoff at.

Browsing the menu, she eye rolled at the goody-two-shoes offering to pay her own way, as well as JoJo’s obnoxiously bland means of making conversation. Setting the menu down, she decided to interject into the conversation, having already decided what she’d get, and having had enough of the niceties floating around the table. It was time to liven things up a little and stir the pot. “Well if the little miss here is too much of a suck up to accept your hospitality, I’ll take her share.” Ash stated boldly, folding her menu and placing it back into the centre of the table. “Though can we order now? I don’t want to wait another hour listening to JoJo prattle on before the food arrives.”

With a complete lack of tact and patience, Ash, flagged down the nearest waiter, snapping her fingers. “Yo, we’re ready to order, drinks and all. I’ll get uh…” Ash leaned forward and grabbed the menu back again, not wanting to make a fool of herself as she failed to pronounce the name of her order. One by one, she pointed to a Pizza Ai Funghi e Salsicce, Ai Quattro Formagi and a Margherita. “Oh yeah, and a raspberry fanta.” She added before handing the menu to the waiter, leaning back in her seat before glaring at the others and expecting them to get to work ordering immediately.

---

“Hmm, a visitor?” Erica was the first to speak as she stood up from the chopping board, Kane quickly pulling off the pink apron as he tossed it onto the nearby hook and ran around the corner. Twirling the knife in her hand, Erica slammed it into the board, leaving it standing as she went to follow him and investigate. Kane knew there was only one person who used that knock, but what was she doing here? Turning back to face Erica, Kane explained as he grabbed the door handle. “Oh, it’s just my Aunt. She never sticks around long, but I’ll introduce you.” Smiling, Kane turned the handle and threw the door open. “Rinne? Is that you?” He blinked a bit, looking the taller woman over. Was that a WDL uniform? He didn’t know she was a part of the team here, nor had Candice mentioned anything.

Tilting her hat up, Kane’s aunt gave him a big grin. "Heya, kiddo. Been a while, huh? Surprised you still remembered my knock." She crossed her arms, eyes sparkling slightly, before she launched forward a little and wrapped Kane in a big, tight, warm hug. "Jeez, you've gotten big, haven't ya?" Kane gasped a bit in surprise, though he kinda expected Rinne to be a bit more hands on with him. She always was. Squirming about in the hug as he tried to surface, Rinne continued. "Got some news for you, actually." Finally managing to pull his head free, Kane gave a soft gasp as he caught his breath before looking up to Rinne. “Auntie, please, I’ve got company…” Kane whispered between gritted teeth, embarrassed, but genuinely happy to see Rinne. With a tilt of his head, he gestured towards Erica, who pleasantly waved, though her eyes never seemed to leave Rinne. “My name is Erica. It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms..?” She asked, though Kane was quick to step free of Rinne, answering in her stead as he smirked. “Oh, just call her Rinne.” Kane smiled to his classmate, before turning back to his Aunt. “News though? Is it that you’ve decided to join mum in the WDL?”

Rinne chuckled softly, crossing her arms as she looked past Kane, ignoring his question for the moment as she appraised the other female in the area. "You better take good care of Kane, Erica. He's a treasure." There was a slight edge to the remark, though Kane only frowned slightly wondering what Rinne meant by that. Erica didn’t seem to mind at all however, laughing it off as she replied. “Of course.” Kane looked to them quizzically, unsure what exactly he was missing, but he didn’t get long to dwell on it as he felt a hand ruffling his hair as Rinne saw fit to draw focus back to his questions. "And nah, I'm still uh, still working at the other company. Got a temp job here so they gave me this outfit. Not bad though, right? I feel like a schoolgirl or something." The non-human spoke to Kane, but her eyes flickered over to Erica every now and then. Rinne wasn't silly, but she also knew prying right now was a bad idea. Regardless, as long as Erica didn't hurt Kane, Rinne had no qualms. As Kane managed to shrug free of her hand and turn to look at her, he took a moment to fix his hair by messing his hand through it, before looking back up to his Aunt. He did have to admit, for someone in her late thirties, she really did look quite young.

"So," Kane’s thoughts were interrupted as Rinne spoke, meeting his gaze with another wide grin on her face. "Guess who just convinced your mother to let you start going into the field?" Kane’s mouth dropped agape, and he didn’t say anything. Slowly, his voice seemed to catch up to him. “No. Way.” Still frozen in near silence, Kane didn’t know what to say. His bad day had just turned from good to great! A large smile now forming on his face, his aunt continued. "Not even messing with you. I made Candy promise to start letting you go out." She paused after that, giving Kane an opportunity to let out his pent up excitement. “Yes yes yes!” Kane was practically jumping for joy, grabbing hold of Rinne and squeezing her well tighter than she had done to him previously. “You’re the best aunt ever Rinne! This is awesome! What are you doing for the WDL anyway? Am I going to get to go with you too?”

Embracing Rinne tightly, Kane didn’t notice the way Rinne froze up a little, but he did feel her hands lightly wrap around to return the cuddle. Watching from the doorway, Erica was still waiting patiently and unbeknownst to Kane, Rinne made a point of fixing Erica with a glare that indicated she was being monitored. With that done, she gently pushed Kane back, affixing him with another Cheshire grin before flicking him across the nose. "Psh, Kane, of course I'm the best aunt! Who else could be better than me? Oh, and I uh, I'm on a contract." She looked away from Kane, as if thinking on things for a moment. "And Kane, you know you can't come with me. Working here is dangerous enough." She put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a moderately serious glare. "I'm not sure you'd be safe with me." Flashing another sly smirk, she winked. "And Candy would totally kill me if she found out I smuggled you out of here, right?"

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right… Oh! But if you’ve got time, you should totally stay for dinner! I’m already making a bunch for Rianne and Yohan, but you can join us! Sister Rianne’s already offered me an apprenticeship, so you definitely have to meet her!” Kane asked, or rather, demanded. This was perfect! An opportunity to get them all together and have a meal! It’ll be like having a whole family together! Eagerly, his eyes shimmered as he met Rinne’s gaze from behind her sunglasses. Cocking her head to the side slightly, Rinne paused in thought, before finally answering. "Hm... I dunno, kiddo, your mother might drag me outta here by the ears." She laughed softly. "I'd love to stay, but I might get called away. I'll have to check in with my boss to see if I can take some time off." She crouched down a little so her face was level with Kane's, and as she did she whispered to him. "But do you really want me here when you've got a cute girl standing behind you?"

“H-hey! Rinne! Stop it!” Kane’s face went beet red, and he took a step back from her, completely unable to keep his voice down. “It’s not like that, I swear!” Behind him, Erica couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the scene, though she quickly hid it behind her hand. Rinne laughed a bit herself, before she leaned over on the doorway. "Alright, Mister 'Not like that', I'll stay for dinner, then. But, uh, I do need to go get some stuff, though…" She looked to the side, a sheepish grin sliding across her face. "I, uh, kinda ditched my gear outside before coming in- wasn't planning on staying for long, so I should probably go get it if I'm gonna stay, right?"

“Oh, okay. We’re still finishing up cooking, but uh, dinner should be around six at Rianne’s dorm. Do you need some directions?” Kane asked, unsure how familiar Rinne was with the WDL. It seemed he’d said something amusing, as his aunt’s smile shifted as she chuckled. "Rinne. Rianne. Gonna be fun. Though If it's at someone else's place, I probably shouldn't tag along, though. That'd be rude." Kane watched Rinne pause in thought, as if concerned about something, his own face falling a little. "Yeah, if that's the case, then I'll have to actually decline the offer. I don't wanna go somewhere I'm not welcome, and if Candy found out I overstayed my welcome-"

"Well I'll give her a call then and see if she wants to have it here at my place!" Kane interrupted her, not going to have his grand plan stopped by something that simple. Pulling his clenched fists into place behind him, his guard was down as Rinne leaned in and flicked his nose once more, breaking his form and forcing him to rub it. "Jeez, you're still such a kid, you know that? Don't ever lose that, okay?” She paused again, giving a bit of a soft sigh as she looked upward. “Mind if I go get my stuff real quick while you take that call, kid?"

"Oh, yeah! Don't let me hold you up! I'll see you at six then!" Grinning as he locked it in, Kane turned back to Erica. "Think you can handle the prep while I do that?" Smiling and nodding, Erica cocked her head once again. "Of course, whatever you need Kane." Heading back inside and giving the two a moment of privacy, Kane watched her go before turning back to Rinne. "Back in a sec, kiddo." With a two-finger salute, Rinne turned and moved over to the elevator, Kane waving behind her before heading back into his apartment. He had a couple of phone calls to make at this point.

Ringing Rianne’s number which he’d sourced through the WDL systems, he was a bit saddened to reach her message bank, but no doubt that meant she was probably kicking butt out there and slaying demons in full glory mode. Grinning to himself as he pictured the awesome battle scenes she must have been in, he almost forgot to leave a message. “Oh, hey, uh, Kane here. Things have got kinda hectic, so uh, mind if we have the dinner at my place instead? When Yohan turns up at your place, you can just head over to my dorm building. If you need directions or anything, gimme a call back, okay? See you at six!” Hanging up, Kane peered out to the kitchen, and was a little stunned to see that Erica was already finished with chopping the vegetables and grinding up the other bits and pieces. All thirteen of them. Wow, she worked fast.

Plumbing in the speed dial, there was just one more person he thought he better invite…

---

Candice Hallows

“Candice speaking.” Picking up her office phone and slotting it between her shoulder and ear, Candice continued signing through the paperwork on her desk before a pleasant voice filled her ear. “Hi mum, it’s me Kane. You uh, you busy tonight?” Candice looked over to the clock on the wall, then back to her stack of papers. “Yeah, I’ve got a long one tonight. Some things have come up, and I have to prepare for a special training session starting tomorrow.” Answering truthfully, Candice felt it was appropriate not to get his hopes up, even if it was a little painful to hear his sigh on the other end.

“Oh… You sure? I mean, you’ll still need to eat, and I’m having this dinner at my place-“ Candice stepped in to interrupt him. “I’m sorry Kane, but this can’t really wait. I’m glad you’re getting a chance to socialise though.” Smiling a little at the prospect of Kane making some friends, Candice stopped herself a moment as she realised she’d almost started writing what she was saying on the phone. “If that’s all, I’ll have to be going. Thank you for the offer though Kane.” She added, vaguely curious why there was such a long pause on the other end. Finally, Kane replied. “Yeah, okay mum. I understand, I’ll say you give Auntie Rinne your regards.” Candice blinked a bit, dropping her pen. Sighing, she pinched the brow of her nose, shutting her eyes as she rubbed it. “She’s going to be there, is she?”

“Yep, she stopped by just a moment ago. But uh, don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of fun-“ Candice hissed a bit in annoyance, a trait of hers that Kane was entirely used to when she was deliberating on something hard for her. Kane waited, letting the silence hang in the air. Twirling the phone cord in her hand, Candice didn’t speak for some time. Finally however, Kane heard the words he knew would be coming. “…What time is dinner?”

Rinne cracked her neck loudly as she stepped out of the elevator, groaning irritably as she took a few steps. She paused, however, her ears flicking around under her cap. She stood there, awaiting the inevitable arrival of the girl whom, honestly, she didn't trust one bit. Now that Kane was inside, and from what Rinne could hear busy giving a passionate speech, she could speak her mind clearly. Kane's new friend could, too, and Rinne was sure that would be an interesting development. Standing in the hall, she wasn't surprised when Erica left the room and stood in front of her. Rinne raised her hand. "Let me get one thing clear. I have nothing against you, I have no reason to be rude, but I want you to tell me honestly if my nephew is in danger." Her crimson eyes locked with those of her conversational partner, barely betraying a small bit of worry and anger behind them. Rinne wasn't going to let anyone harm her nephew, after all. Not even if that meant killing an innocent human.

"If that's your primary concern, then you have nothing to worry about. Though you have no reason to trust my claims, I can state that there's fewer safer places then in my care." Standing where she was opposite Rinne, Erica seemed to have lost all the bubbly, friendly cheer that she'd had inside Kane’s dorm. Like a mirror to Rinne's hardline approach, if the cat was going to play hardball, so would she. "For your security, as well as my own, I suggest we settle this here and now, preferably without any complications. Your secrets are safe, so long as you maintain mine." Adjusting her footing slightly, Erica seemed to have her attention split between a few different things, though what exactly they were, it was hard to tell.

Rinne gave Erica a smile. However, her next words had a cutting edge to them. "If that's a threat, Erica, then I suggest you take it back before you regret it.” She idly cracked her neck again, smiling. "I'm sure that if you make any moves to break the news to Kane, you'll find yourself suddenly suspended from this lovely academy. Wouldn't that be a pain?" Rinne's' words betrayed that she'd been perfectly aware of a certain change within a certain program. "I have eyes everywhere, little girl. Please keep that in mind in the future. I dislike threatening people, but I feel the need to put you back in line when you've stepped out of it. I have no business with you, I have no reason to interact with you aside from Kane- I was going to leave it at that, but you had the guts to threaten to not just hurt me, but several people I care about. You should be much more careful." She crossed her arms. "Here's the deal. I'll let you do whatever as long as my nephew doesn't get hurt, and you'll refrain from involving yourself in my personal life any further." She gave Erica a warm smile, but shifted her grip on her duffel bag. "Or I'll shoot you. Deal?” Rinne certainly seemed somewhat poised to unzip said duffel bag if Erica tried anything.

With a soft sigh, Erica brought a hand to her brow, pinching her nose slightly. Not exactly what she'd planned, but that was what she got for being careless. Mistakes were problematic, but at least she still had enough of a window to work with this unexpected turn of events. Disconcerting as it was that her activities weren't going unnoticed; she was too far in to back out now. Perhaps the ‘legendary soldier’ merited more focus and respect than she'd initially anticipated. It seemed that, for the moment, her real objective was occupied enough, so there would be no issue relaxing a little. "You misunderstand my intentions, but I can see how they could be misconstrued to seem hostile. My mistake. Essentially, I was trying to make the same offer you did to me." Pausing a moment at the end of the sentence, Erica added another line of clarification. "Though without the threat of shooting you, naturally."

Looking back to the closed door to Kane's apartment, before turning back to Rinne, Erica decided to try a different tact. "He's very genuine. Not unlike yourself, though far more naive. He has his heart in the right place though. It was those qualities that drew me here." Idly reaching up to play with her hair, Erica decided to let her guard down, somewhat. No doubt the hostility she received was in part due to her own stern stance. The best way to diffuse the situation would hopefully be to act a little more relaxed and allow that to help calm the feline. "What I was trying to infer before was that I have no intention of harming him. I'll see to it that he's protected. It's the least I can do in exchange." Returning her hand to her side and looking back to Rinne, Erica could see from her expression that it wasn’t going to be that simple to get on her good side.

Rinne gaze Erica a hard glare. "Not unlike myself? Please, I'm well aware of what I am, and that isn't a good, genuine person, Erica." Rinne let out a long, loud sigh. "A demon trying to eat his soul, one of my enemies finally sending someone to kill someone I love, someone completely out of the loop dragged into this situation via a promise of reward for killing someone. Do you know how cautious I have to be of you, Erica?" Rinne didn't once close her eyes nor look away. Erica relaxing only caused her to lower her own defences slightly. Rinne was a cautious, cautious, war-born soldier. She knew perfectly well that Erica could be trying to get her to lower her guard so that she'd need a bit more reaction time- it's not like Rinne hadn't had to deal with that before. It was what gave her the scar under her left eye, after all.

"I'm glad you have no intention of harming Kane, but my statement still stands. I will shoot you if anything happens to him, so I expect your protection to be thorough if you're going to make that claim.” Rinne sighed, then spoke again. "Fine. But I'll be watching you. I don't give a rat's ass about your other business, but…" She stepped over to Erica, whispering directly into her ear, the girl not flinching in the slightest at the proximity. "If Kane is hurt, not even God can save you." Taking a step back, Rinne cracked her neck and grumbled. "Friggin' rocks are the worst pillows, y'know?"

Changing tact as Erica did, Rinne nodded to herself. "Alright, I'll give you a chance. Sorry for my hostility, but my line of work hasn't exactly left me with few enemies, nor is it something you can get through without being cautious- also," she gave Erica a semi-glare, "don't compare me to Kane. Ever. It's insulting to the poor cinnamon roll." After a somewhat uncomfortable pause, Rinne looked to the side. "Like I said, it's nothing personal. I'm sure you're a great person probably, but people can be payed or swayed or deceive others. It's in my nature to be slightly paranoid- if I wasn't like that then I'd definitely be dead by now."

Rinne looked over at Erica and sighing hard, stuck out the hand that wasn't holding the duffel bag for Erica to shake. An uncomfortable smile sat on her face, but she was trying. "Rinne Lucalia, legendary soldier and possibly the coolest aunt you'll ever meet. I don't miss." The faintest trace of a smile crossed Erica's lips, and she extended her own hand to meet the shake. "Possibly?" She asked, knowing very well what the answer would be. Still, this blockhead was more stubborn than she'd given her credit for. It was working out now, but somehow it seemed like no matter what she'd tried, this legendary soldier seemed intent on making it as difficult as possible. She didn't know who she had to thank for getting this chance, but at least now that was one less problem she had to worry about. All going well, she'd do nothing to incur the wrath of Kane's aunt. Perhaps, if things went well, she might even be able to make use of her too...

"Regardless, I appreciate your decision towards some hospitality. I promise, you won't regret it." Making a full, cheerful smile, the facade of Erica Decall quickly returned to her face, pivoting on the spot to open the door for Rinne, before looking back over her shoulder. "Perhaps we'll get to know each other better over dinner. Though Kane has told me so many wonderful things about you I'm positive you'll fulfil all my expectations."

---

For a moment, Kane had been soaring the heavens, proclaiming his intended heroics joyfully. Soon enough however, Rianne had the good sense to pull him back down to Earth, bringing in some much needed realism to Kane’s overzealous spiel. Calming himself down and rubbing the back of his head, Kane apologised a little at the mild scolding; or was it more just mentoring? Regardless, her revelations were grounding, blunt and honest. Kane smiled. This was exactly what he needed from a mentor. She didn’t attempt to dissuade him from his choices, merely advise him how hard the road ahead could be. And to show that, in spite of what she’d claimed thus far, Rianne just might come to support him.

“Thank you, Sister. I’ll see to it that I become something that you’ll want to believe in.” Giving a smile of conviction, it was about then that Erica and Rinne returned to join them, the former deciding to speak first. “Guess who I found waiting around outside.” Gesturing jovially at Rinne, Erica moved to grab a seat for her, allowing Kane’s aunt to take a seat while she moved back to the kitchen to attend to the food briefly. Seeing as Rianne and Rinne hadn’t met, Kane saw it as his duty to introduce them. “Uh, Aunty? This here is Sister Rianne. It took some doing, but she’s agreed to be my mentor.” Gesturing between them, Kane continued. “Rianne, this here is Rinne, my aunty; and I suppose one of my teachers up until this point. She’s uh… Freelance.” Kane replied with the best word he could think of to describe her… Unique circumstances, both within the WDL and outside of them.
Rinne smiled at Rianne, chuckling softly. "Sorry, Sister." She didn't offer any more than that before nodding her head. "Rinne Lucalia. Pleasure to meet you. I hope you, uh, didn't get railroaded into being this brat's mentor." A huge grin sliding across her face, Rinne reached over and ruffled Kane's hair as per usual. "Despite his clumsiness, the kid is fairly talented. Surprising, I know, but it's true." Rinne nodded to Kane. "Freelance is accurate." She turned back to Rianne, smiling warmly. The duffel bag had been dumped beside her when she'd sat down, and Rinne wondered just how much she'd be probed during the dinner. She shifted slightly in her seat, her grin not failing once. "So, Rianne, how's the WDL treating you?"

---

Candice Hallows

No no no. Ugh, why did he have to just spring it on her? Why couldn’t Kane be like any other normal individual and make arrangements for dinner at least a week in advance so she could plot out her schedule? No. Not right at all. Pacing back and forth in her bedroom, Candice ran her hands through her hair in frustration, messing it slightly as she stopped in front of the mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time. She hadn’t asked Kane for details. Formal, or casual? Rinne would be there. Did that mean she was supposed to dress up? Or would that be too much? Having already gone through the panic of procuring a suitable dish to bring (And making a stop in at the local cake store for an Italian Rum Cake), the only thing left was to decide on an outfit, and get herself there on time.

Biting her lip a little, Candice returned to the closet once more, discarding the risqué red ensemble she’d gone with, and rummaging around inside for something a bit less… Extravagant. It was dinner at Kane’s. Not a day out at the races, or a private dinner. She could dress nice, formal, but still light enough to seem casual. Eventually, she pulled out a frilly white halter style blouse, an impressive silver necklace with large droplet shapes, matching bangles and glasses, before topping it all off with some skinny leg jeans and some stylish heeled ankle boots. Taking the time to sit and begin fixing her hair, Candice realised she’d forgotten a watch. Pulling open the drawer of her dresser, she searched for one that would suit her outfit, but immediately froze. All of them were meticulously accurate. Which meant only one thing…

She was late.

Stumbling out the door to the hall and half tripping over herself, Candice began fervently hurrying back towards the dorms, her minor concerns forgotten in the presence of the real problem she had overlooked.

It was a shame that in her rush to leave, the cake she bought remained forgotten in the fridge.

Candice Hallows

Striding up towards the door of Kane’s apartment, Candice took a moment to correct herself before carefully moving to ring the doorbell. To her immediate surprise, the door opened up just as she moved forward; a young student that she’d never seen before opening it and gesturing her inside. “Miss Hallows I presume? It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am, I’m looking forward to attending my first lecture with you. Your publication on non-humans was a refreshing insight into alternative viewpoints non-humans can hold regarding mankind.” The cheery, blue eyed student certainly seemed on top of the material, and that pleased Candice. She was happy someone appreciated her work, but she did have to wonder who this girl actually was.

“Yes, that’s correct. I’m glad you found value in my work. I take it you’re one of Kane’s classmates?” She asked, receiving a simple nod in response from the girl as she was lead down the hall. “Yes Miss Hallows, I transferred here today. Oh, where are my manners? I’m Erica. Erica Decall.” With a slight tilt of her head and a small smile, Erica stopped briefly for the introductions, shaking hands with her superior. “Please, we’re not in a formal setting call me Candice.” It was impossible for Candice not to respond in kind with her own smile. It was rare to find a student with this level of confidence and genuine friendliness. Withdrawing her hand, Erica continued to lead Candice down the hall. “Kane has been most helpful in showing me around. You must be proud of him.” The pleasant tone and demeanour from the young girl was certainly helping to ease Candice’s earlier panic, and it was also buttering up her ego. Perhaps a little too much, but she did enjoy receiving flattery, and the girl seemed quite nice. “My son is quite special to me. I think I’d be proud of him almost regardless of his actions, but I am happy to hear that he’s been of assistance to you Erica.”

Rounding the corner, the two stepped into the main lounge area, allowing Candice to take in the scene. Rin looked up as Candice walked in, a wide grin sliding across her features- there was a slight bit of deviousness to her grin, but nothing too bad. Typical. Ignoring the feline for the moment, she turned her gaze to look for Kane, finding him strangely absent, before noticing the final guest of the evening. Though she couldn’t hide the raise of her brow at spotting Sister Rianne here, she was thankful that her sunglasses would likely be doing that job for her. “My, I didn’t realise Kane had invited so much company.” Candice stated after a brief pause, watching Erica move around her and head for the kitchen. Likely, that was where Kane was.

“It’s… Nice to see you Sister. And you too Rinne.” Candice continued, wrinkling her nose slightly as she noted the smoke wafting from her cigarette. Though she was technically far older than Rianne, by appearances she was considered the younger of the two. The manner in which one conducts themselves is a far greater indicator of one’s maturity however; and in this case, Candice’s past experiences and general viewpoint on the sister was that although quite talented, she’d proven herself time and time again to be somewhat ignorant, brash and for the most part, just plain rude. Younger individuals she tended to give a free pass as growing up, experimenting and needing guidance. Rianne however, was well old enough to make her own decisions. Candice just didn’t personally approve of them.

“Tell me, what brings you here?” Candice inquired as she eyed Rianne, briefly throwing Rinne a somewhat quizzical look as she took a seat next to her. Looking back to Rianne again, it was clear that she was somewhat disapprovingly noting her disrespectful posture with her feet up on the furniture. She didn’t mention it however. At least, not yet. Rin shrugged, the small smirk on her face not shrinking or vanishing at all. She had no idea who the woman across from them was, and she didn’t know her relationship to Candice, but she had a sneaking suspicious that her favourite uptight snake lady was probably not on good terms with Rianne. ‘Uncouth’ is the word she’d probably use. Honestly, Rin saw a bit of her untrained self in Rianne, although nowadays putting your feet up was, well, not exactly something she’d do. Despite her playfulness, Rin was in a constant state of alert - it came with the job. However, her usually stiff frame was much more relaxed than usual. She wasn’t being shot at, after all. The bag at her feet was in easy reach, and Rinne’s revolvers could be drawn in a second when she’d last timed it. A soft voice echoed in the back of her head, and Rinne clenched her jaw as she willed it away.

She secretly hoped Kane would hurry up and get back. She idly bumped Candice’s shoulder a few seconds after she’d sat down. It occurred to her that she should probably keep it professional unless Candice stated otherwise - didn’t want anyone knowing her.. more intimate relations, after all. Rin idly reached up and scratched just below her scar, not wanting to interrupt Rianne’s response. The voice of the dead girl in the back of her head was being a bit of a pain to ignore.

"I'm not gonna turn down free dinner," Rianne answered, letting out a stifled yawn. "That, and. . . I'd been meaning to clear up some things, but unlucky for me, that's not quite how things turned out. He wants me to be his personal tutor, basically." She leaned forward a bit and with a miffed expression, waved casually around the space in front of her. "As much as I tried to convince him otherwise. I'd ask you to talk some sense into the little twerp, but at this point I don't know if I should be going back on my word."

“I think that would be for the better.” Candice replied bluntly, masking her own surprise at the revelation with her curt rejection of Rianne. Honestly, could she not even follow through on something as simple as that properly? She’d have to speak with Kane and remove any foolish ideas from his head before he made a grave mistake. Who knew what sort of hooligan antics Rianne would teach him if given the opportunity?

Rin sat there, quite happily gazing away from the two.. lovely ladies present. After Candice’s less than proper reply, she elbowed her in the side, not too hard, but hard enough. “So, the weather is nice today, huh?” Rin spoke a bit loudly, her gaze still out the window. She didn’t exactly want to get involved in their tense little.. Whatever. Candice and Rianne’s relationship was none of her business, but she wasn’t going to let them get into anything with Kane having worked so hard to make this dinner happen.

Rianne almost felt herself wincing at the woman's words. Mm. Well, it didn't come as a surprise, and even she herself had acknowledged the potential problems that could arise from this development, but. . . she wasn't sure why she took offense to that. Candice had every right to be worried, and honestly whatever she decided was none of her concern, so Rianne pushed those thoughts and those feelings to the back of her mind.

"Yeah, probably," she finally said, picking at her teeth with her pinky nail. Not setting the greatest example here, but it wasn't strange behavior for someone who never cared about leaving good impressions. Candice withheld her own follow up comment as another voice rang out.

“Alright guys, dinner is ready!” The call came from the kitchen, Kane poking his head through the doorway to see everyone, briefly raising an arm to wave at Candice. “Hey Mom, glad you could make it.” Smiling, Kane gestured the three to follow him, heading over to the dining table to take a seat, Erica putting the finishing bits of cutlery on display. The aroma was enticing, Kane happily gesturing to the small set of banquet trays with a small variety of meats, vegetables and other bits and pieces; the roast meal on full display with utensils readily available at each ‘station’ for self service. “Help yourself guys, there’s plenty there, so take as much as you want. Of course, you can always have seconds too.” Stepping to the side to let everyone else sample what they needed, Kane would take his meal last.

Rin sighed hard when the others moved to the dining table, being the last to stand up. She somewhat eagerly followed Kane to the table, openly licking her lips and grinning. No rations tonight, heck yeah. “Looks good, you two. I might have to eat everything there~” She teased, quite happily grabbing what she needed and heaping her plate fairly high with a mix of everything. It was all in easy reach on the table, after all. After this meal, she’d probably go for a few days on nothing but rations, so she wasn’t going to be skimpy on her meal. Besides, it looked delicious and there was plenty of it, so she definitely wasn’t going to be holding back. She sat directly beside Kane, giving him a grin as she waited. Did people at the WDL say grace, or..? Rinne silently hoped a certain someone would save her the awkwardness of sitting next to someone she’d never met by taking the seat beside her, and she mentally reminded herself to be on her best table manners. Not very good, being a kitty, but she always tried her best. She adjusted the cap on her head.

“Heh, well, I did put in a little something special just for you, seeing as Kane told me so much about his favourite Aunt.” Erica laughed a bit, taking a seat on the far side of the table as she noted Candice move to take her place by Rinne’s side. “I’m certain you’ll enjoy it, so dig right in.” She affirmed again, surprisingly having not too much on her plate, and not making too much move to eat it. She probably had a big meal or something prior. As for Candice, she carefully reached to take a modest helping of the range. At least, compared to her feline compatriot, though it seemed there was no need for extreme formality as she calmly reached for her cutlery and got to work cutting into the beef. Briefly, she gave Kane a bit of a look, flitting her eyes towards Rianne, but the young boy either didn’t notice or didn’t care, leading his mother to simply give in and decide to make the most of the meal. She could speak with him later about his educational decisions. For now, she simply had him pass the gravy.

“Heh, this is great. I’m really glad you all could make it. In fact, I think this is the first time I think I’ve had anyone over since well… Ever!” Kane spoke happily, making a point not to speak with his mouth full. Some formality would be needed around his mother, at the very least. “Did you get all the paperwork done Mom?” Inquiring slightly, it was met with a simple nod from Candice as she finished her first piece of the meal, daintily taking the napkin to brush her mouth before speaking. “Bailey is handling the preparations for tomorrow. He’s quite reliable at this sort of thing. After all, the training for the new recruits is likely to be quite the affair. No doubt there will be adjustments and improvisations to the schedule.” Of course, Candice wasn’t at liberty to discuss the details, particularly with those who were uninvolved with the children. Thankfully, Kane knew better than to inquire further than he already had.

From there, the group enjoyed the rest of the chatter and dinner until later in the night, Rianne being the first to excuse herself, followed by Candice and Rinne, before finally Erica said her parting words and headed off for the night, leaving Kane to relax at home.

Ashley “Ash” “Soot” Clade

Nodding at Rick’s simple explanation, part of her was a little annoyed that he seemed to always have a capable and formal sounding response to things. Maybe it was her nagging inferiority complex, but Rick was just too prepared and cool in his responses for her tastes. Buffeted by a gust of wind as Illusion opened her parasol, Ash reminded herself that there could be worse people to be stuck with, grumbling a little to herself as she adjusted her collar. Obstacle courses, huh? Well, if it was like one of those crazy courses on TV with the ropes and rock walls and the like, that could actually be kind of fun. It was much better than some crappy classroom and lectures at any rate; although the prospect of waking at dawn for a jog wasn’t thrilling. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too cold out. Finally, they were shown to their individual caravans, an unexpected and pleasant luxury. Striding up to one, Ash opened the door, peering inside and giving a faint whistle that she was impressed before closing it up and following along with the rest of the tour.

As they continued further along, Ash tried to remain disinterested, but in all honesty, the activities were drawing out her curiosity. Weapons and firing ranges? Well, that was kinda cool. It was beginning to seem less threatening the more Illusion went over it, kinda like one of those activity things that her dad signed her up to when she was younger. Starting to trail behind the group as she picked up a sword to look at, she briefly swung it about before returning it to the box and trotting after the others. There’d be plenty of time to practice that during the actual camp. As Illusion began to talk about some initial test involving needles, Ash didn’t really bat much of an eyelid. Sure, she didn’t like getting pricked, but that’s all it was. Honestly she didn’t get why Illusion was making such a big deal out of it, other than maybe the insinuation that drawing blood around a vampire wasn’t the wisest thing.

In what was probably a fortunate moment of being towards the back of the group and unnoticed, Illusion revealed that a blood test wasn’t needed at all. Ash quietly shuffled into a more casual position with her hands in her pockets, pretending like she hadn’t just been prepared to blindly follow the instructions given to her. Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed. Slowly striding forward to take one of the last papers, Ash turned it over in her hands, briefly examining its appearance before shrugging. Sure, there were plenty of questions and warnings in her head about sticking her thumb on a demonic pentagram, but given what she’d heard so far about her heritage this ranked rather low on the danger scale. Striding over to a nearby stump, Ash dropped into a seated position before pushing her thumb into the allotted area.


Blinking as the words formed on the page, Ashley scratched the paper a little where her name was. Weird, what was up with that? Was that her demon name or something? Well, whatever. At least the abilities were legible, though she didn’t exactly know what they meant. Well, she could haphazard a bit of a guess, especially given she thought she knew how telepathy worked. As much as she waited, nothing further appeared on her page, so that seemed to be it. Caius mimicked her own confusion in a less than tasteful fashion, so Ash instead turned towards Illusion and Rick, expecting the two to be more than capable of explaining.

“So, we’ve got a title for what we can do. So how do we learn what that actually is and how to do it?” Ashley asked, looking to Illusion’s Cheshire grin, then back to Rick before deciding which of the two she thought would be more helpful and trustworthy. Not that she trusted either of them that much, but at least he wasn’t likely to outright lie to her for some sort of joke. “Well, you’ve been through this before. Spill the beans, so I can start learning to…” Ash consulted her paper again a moment. “Shadow shape or whatever.”

---

Candice Hallows

“Just, set that down over there Kane. Even though they’ve arrived, lunch won’t be for quite some time, so you can relax and take it easy.” Candice stated, partly to herself as she took a seat at one of the tables. Going over the files on hand as she went through the last bits of the paperwork, she bit into the apple she was carrying as she formulated the best ways to start addressing the children’s curriculum, as well as ensuring their safety while introducing some level of danger to the program. Behind her, dressed in a white kitchen smock was Kane, setting down the basket of produce and other food items that they’d stocked up on prior to their drive up here. Just because it was boot camp didn’t mean they wouldn’t be providing the children with appropriate and healthy meals. Not to mention…

Turning to watch Kane continue to unload the Van with the help of the young Erica, Candice sighed a little. Honestly, the two didn’t have any real reason to be out on this venture – Nor did they probably have clearance to be informed about just who was attending the bootcamp, but somehow she’d managed to convince her superiors to let them along. Not for training, of course. That would just be reckless. Instead, she’d had to put them down as the field trip cooks and general assistance. Hopefully that would be enough to appease both Rinne and her bosses. It wasn’t exactly training, but she hadn’t lied to Rinne about bringing him to the bootcamp, so it’d all work out. She’d even been nice enough to bring along his newfound friend and classmate, so he wouldn’t be too bored. At the sound of Kane tripping and spilling a smattering of pots to the ground, she shook her head. Hopefully she wouldn’t regret this.

“Bailey, what’s the progress on the children?” Candice asked, looking over to the young man sitting by the television monitors. They had a small security setup around the perimeter of the camp just on the off chance someone (or something) tried to stumble on the campsite, but they also doubled as a good way to monitor the children. “Looks like Lusy is giving them the paper test, so that should give us all some more information.” Spinning around in the computer chair, the young man sipped his coffee. “I take it you’d like a copy of each before tomorrow?”

“Please. It’ll help when deciding how best to cater their training.” Candice nodded, letting him get back to his work. The next few days were going to be something, that was for sure. Hopefully all would go well, and the recruits would get a good grasp of their abilities and be given the opportunity to get a better understanding of how things worked regarding magic and the like. Hopefully with information, they’d make good choices from here in and help the world. Still… Looking back to Kane and Erica, Candice frowned slightly. Maybe she was just being overly protective. Everything would be fine.