The Earth, 2017

His face kept that smug smirk the entire time, even after she revealed her short facade. He chuckled to himself, crossing his arms and leaning on one leg. "Oh no, I was oh so very worried that I'd hurt your dog feelings." He shifted his stance back to both legs, looking down and checking his watch. "Well, while this is not at all fun, my time is up, so I must be going to the meeting." He smiled warmly- albeit obviously rudely. "I do thank you for the small amount of entertainment you've given me. I do hope we don't meet again." With a loud laugh, the Exorcist walked right through the group, shoulder barging past Kane, and Rianne in particular, as well as 'accidentally' kicking the trash bucket back over as he eventually vanished around the nearest corner. "Take care, 'Sister Radish'."

Rianne released the spell that she'd been holding throughout the entire altercation. She timed it very precisely - right as he began leaning into his next step, she summoned a ghostly chain very low to the ground, but at least high enough that his foot should catch it while it was coming up. After all, a superior being like himself doesn't bother to take notice of the garbage beneath him.

Not caring to see whether or not he fell to her little prank, she turned around back to the two who'd been standing there the entire time and clasped her hands together with a winning smile.

"Well, I hope never to talk to that asshole again. Not that I count on that, the persistent little rat."

Kane had been quiet after Rianne had initially cut him off. Something about her expression and the way she carried herself just told him that this wasn’t his fight. Even if he was one of the targets. Face firmly pursed, Kane continued to glare at the condescending fellow, though briefly stopped when he realised Rianne had gestured to him. And implied he wasn’t doing much. He mumbled something of a soft ‘Hey…’ But neither her, nor the patronising man seemed to notice. Instead, more insults were flung both in his direction, and Rianne’s, Kane instinctively gripping his sword and continuing his dead stare. Say what he wanted about Kane (He knew it, he wasn’t anything special at this point – but one day, he would be); Rianne on the other hand… Well, even a moment like this was an incredible testament to her character.

Neither a pushover letting the guy waltz all over her, nor taking it too far and starting an actual fight; she was the picture of a cool, calm and steadfast warrior. If it wasn’t for the rude company near them, Kane would already be singing her praises in awe. Instead, he just stood firmly next to her, and although the jerk shoved past him, Kane was really certain that he might have hurt his shoulder a little on Kane’s chest. Maybe. It kinda hurt Kane’s chest a bit being shoved like that, so he hoped that guy had the same happen to him. Even when the bin was tipped over once again, ruining Yohan’s hard work, Kane didn’t flinch. Rianne was managing to hold her cool. He’d have to do the same.

Finally, she turned to him and Yohan, giving what was an impressive smile given the tenseness of the past situation. "Well, I hope never to talk to that asshole again. Not that I count on that, the persistent little rat." Rianne stated with far more positivity than Kane was expecting. Maybe she was forcing it a bit. “You okay, Sister?” He asked in concern. She didn’t need to put on a brave face for his sake, especially with the stuff that arrogant man had said. It was in his nature to put the concerns of others first. Speaking of which…

“Yohan, step back a moment. I’ll clean this up.” Kane affirmed, moving up to grab the bin again. Shutting his eyes and waving his hand in a familiar muscle memory, he began his chant, a series of circles and other symbols appearing in front of his palm in mid-air, glowing blue and rippling with energy. “Element: Water.” Slowly, a swirl of liquid began to come from his hand, directed across the floor where the mess had formed. Repeating another series of hand gestures, the arcane symbols changed, becoming green this time as Kane once again spoke, entering a meditation stance. “Element: Wind.” A small gust began to form, circling in a centrifugal motion, collecting up the bits of rubbish, before being directed over the bin. In one fluid step, the tornado disappeared, the trash was dropped, filling the bin once more, while the floor itself had a light sheen to it as it was dry once more. If there was one thing Kane could do, it was clean, though why he hadn’t done that when he’d first knocked over the bucket was anyone’s guess.

“I used to have to clean the shrine all the time back home, Mother runs a tight ship, so I got pretty quick at it.” Kane chuckled, rubbing the back of his head a bit as he explained. His levity dropped however as he turned back to Rianne. “Thank you though. For standing up for us. As much as I hate to admit it… He’s right about me. I’m a nobody. But, I plan to change that. Not because of what he said, but because I want to help this world, and the people in it. If I had the choice to become like that guy to be strong, or mop floors for the rest of my days, there’s no decision to be made – I’ll mop and sweat and clean until my hands fall off. There’s no point to this unless I can do something for the people who can’t stand up to guys like him.” Kane held his hand in front of himself a moment during his speech, clenching it as he got a little bit more worked up. He realised however, that he was dragging his point out again, so he stopped himself, giving a sigh.

“I’m sorry to have imposed on you Sister Rianne. Like me, you’re still training to become the best you can and help people. I don’t want to slow you down in that. No matter what people like him think, I know you’re incredible; and you’ll never give up being there for folks like us. That’s why, even if you can’t train me, I’ll strive to be like you, and even beyond that.” He nodded to her, smiling a bit to himself. It felt good to speak his mind like that, and he really meant it. All this had done was help reaffirm his belief and reason for being at the WDL. The world needed someone to protect it, and it sure as diddly wasn’t going to be that... That stale biscuit!

Rick Brackwall

With all things said and done what was important was that they were on their way with him. He looked back to ensure that they were still following and didn't start wondering off for whatever reason. All five of them were following behind well enough. That was all what mattered, little else was of concern in regards to that. He did wonder what Illusion had in mind for Caius. Hopefully she'll help him along to the projector room or brief him separately. It would be time consuming doing a whole briefing for a single missing brethren.

He unclipped his clipboard from his belt as he walked, carrying under his arm as he lead them from the auditorium. Past guards and through the scenic architecture that was WDL's Rome. Soon they approached the building that was their destination: The Academy in all it's grandeur. Well, perhaps it wasn't the most flowing and beautiful structure within the compound but it was suitably nice.

"I welcome you one and all to WDL's very own academy!" He gestured to the building with a fancy flourish of the hand. "It may not look inherently special but there's not a place better suited to preparing one for any situation one may encounter." He'd of extrapolated on the nature of these 'Encounters' however they would need to understand the existence of demons as a whole first and such a change in their reality was bound not to be received smoothly.


Through the front doors and up the stairs to the right Rick led them to the second floor and down the hall. It was the room just past classroom 101 that was two classrooms in length. Opening the door he revealed the room in full. It was a fairly nice room, long fluorescent lights just waiting to cast their bright white light at the touch of a button. The was a long grey oval desk in the middle of the room surrounded with office chairs. At the side of the room closest to the entrance was a projector mounted on a trolley. At the other end of the room was a white board, a large roll up screen attached at the top.

With a flick Rick turned on the lights, illuminating the placid room. The walls were bare and white, the carpet a neutral grey color. It looked very much like the type of room that would be at home in an office building. What didn't belong in an office building however was Caius who was standing over on the far side of the room looking mostly confused.

While this would be an odd sight, someone who was left behind somehow making it to a room they weren't even aware of before them, to Rick this was just to be expected of Illusion. Her magic certainly benefited her efficiency plenty though her mannerisms were a tad chaotic. After these many years the strange was simply commonplace.

"All of you may feel free to take a seat. I'll get the projector set up." He offered the others as he went over to the projector, hardly even batting an eye at the befuddled Caius. Setting down his clip board the observant would spot that the paper slides it kept a hold of were all completely blank.


After a few moments of moving panels and inserting slides Rick finally had the projector set up.

"Alright! If you are all settled let the briefing begin!"

With that announcement he hit the lights and took his place by the projector. It spat forth an image not of a blank slide as was previously noted by the more aware but instead a cover marked with the WDL insignia. With that up Rick cleared his throat, prepared to speak at length.

"The WDL, the Warriors of Divine Light, are a martial institution established to protect the human population from non-standard threats on a global scale. All of you on some level have had experiences with threats known to the WDL prior to your arrival here."


The slides simply seemed to switch over on their own accord to the next one in the order. It was an image of the exact type of demon that attacked Jonathan, a Tsuchigumo as the title of the slide states.

"At first it might seem surreal."

The slides changed over again. This time it was an image of what seemed to be a man kneeling within a demonic diagram, candles set at strategic points in the circular drawing. In the man's hand was a knife which which he appeared to be cutting open his own arm, the blood flowing not down but up from the wound. The title of this slide was Hemomancy.

"It may make you question things you never doubted before."

The screens flipped to the next slide. It was an illustration of each phase in a werewolf's transformation, starting from man to feral half-canine beast in order of left to right. The title to this document was The Transformation From Man to Werewolf.

"It may make you even question your own sanity."

Flipping again to the next slide was a compilation image of all three illustrations, arranged in a triangle.

"There is truth in what you witnessed. It is what we all share. It is why we are here now."

Striding up next to the screen the images were projected onto Rick stepped into view. His posture was open and he still wore a pleasant if calm smile, speaking in a pleasant tone albeit with the slightest Italian accent simply due to spending a fair amount of time learning in Rome.


"Now, you've been given a brief rundown by our principle, the esteemed Miss Illusion, but I feel as though it didn't satisfy the amount of knowledge you require in order to wholly accept a responsibility that's been thrust upon you without warning or consent. Know that like you all I too arrived here no differently."

While it was definitely dark and difficult to see anything beyond the image put forth by the projector the keen of eye might spot a piece of paper reaching up with a corner and hitting the power switch on the projector. Just as the projector shut down, plunging the room into darkness, Rick hit the light switch on his side of the room, igniting the fluorescent lights and immersing the room in their plain white light.

"I am here simply to help you make the most of your time and efforts. For everyone's sake."

He looked over the group, meeting eyes with each member he could before addressing them as a whole.

"Of course you've humored me in listening to my rambling. I imagine you have questions of your own you need addressed. Starting with..."

He briefly held his hand out, considering who he should take questions from first. He briefly considered letting them speak their questions but wasn't quite yet certain that they wouldn't start trying to talk over each other in a muddled mess of confusion. His hand fell to the person he was to address, directing everyone's attentions to Jonathan.

"JoJo, our good friend of many. Any questions or concerns in need of addressing?"

He hadn't expected to meet a guy like this, if only he had asked for his name, probably wouldn't of gotten it. Regardless, this guy had done something, his words spoke out and struck not the Sister. He couldn't speak a damn word about it, all he could do was remember right now. But he wanted to do something so badly right now, it was annoying to think this was the state he had to end up in right now. He concentrated with every fiber in his being, focused not just with his mind, but with his very spirit to keep himself in check. How could he stay calm after this, how could he after that... that... blow?!

You have to calm down, right now. You'll be found out if you set off now. I KNOW THAT! DON'T YOU THINK I DO?! But that guy... Who cares about him?! He only speaks words, you hold memories with you no matter where you go. You cherish them every day, you honor and respect them! Are you seriously going to let one guy ruin everything you've worked for until now?! No, but... It's just hard. There's no one here to talk to. I can't even talk about it back home! What a joke, right?! LET ME JUST DO ONE SHOT, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! No, you will NOT fire one shot without my permission anyway! WHY NOT?!? WOULDN'T YOU DO THE SAME?! YES, ACTUALLY, I WOULD! But you aren't me, you NEVER want to be me do you!?

The argument inside his head would probably sound silly spoken to anyone, he really missed being home right now. He had almost gone and blew everything, people were counting on him to come back with results! He thought of the children, all smiling and looking up to him to bring them back news that they would have a proper home again. How many demon attacks just 'slip' under watch? How many people manipulated the systems to bring demons out and ruin people's lives more than once!? How many times did he have to look in the eyes of people who were on the edge of starvation, how many times did he have to do the same for those who were sick, infected, corrupted with something vile...

His mind raced against itself, it practically felt like he was bashing against a wall right now. He very much wanted to, but instead of his head, he'd use his fist. His left hand started to twitch, even if it was concealed as nicely as he could make it, he felt the urge to go frikking wild right now on some kind of property. His emotions were blood hot right now, and oh boy, OH BOY, did that guy pick the wrong words to say to him today. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that when the sister came back and she and Kane started talking, it snapped him out of his thoughts in surprise, leaving him with a sudden concerned expression as he looked between the both of them several times. It only took him until now to realize that his inner frustration had started to cause him to sweat. No wonder it felt hot in here suddenly.

Kane asked him to step back, this made him confused for a moment, but he nodded and did as Kane asked, observing the trash to see what he would do. To his surprise, Kane used magic to clean it up. At least, he assumed it was magic. It had to be, right? Well, regardless, it seemed like Kane was better off than the average man. Seems like Kane was aspiring for greater things though, he could respect that. Kane turned his attention to mainly focus on the Sister for now. A brief moment of light to the situation, at least, for his side mentally anyway. These were nice people, way too nice for him to act up now. He had gotten lucky here, almost slipping up control due to one man's words.

... It hurt to remember. It always did. It must feel that way for others here. But they could at least express themselves openly. He had to keep his trap shut, especially with that man around. There would be time later, for now, he just had to buy his time. He had to think about the positives for now, keep his head in the game. Was this a game now? Who knows. All he knew was that he had to stay calm and keep himself under control. Under control. Under. Control. He repeated the words inside his head multiple times, he couldn't have another near slip up like this again.

Well, at least Kane finished sucking up -- er, admiring the Sister. He scratched the back of his head as he blinked a few times. Oh boy, this one was certainly a talker. He didn't mind that though, at least Kane seemed honest. "Well, uh, apologies and all that. In all honesty, I was just looking for where the rooms were, but at this point, I may need to go out and buy a few water bottles now. It'd certainly help with how hot it got just now." He went to move his sleeve and rub it against his forehead -- Ooooh right, the whole, trash incident. He moved his arm quickly away from his head before it could even lay an inch on it. Yeaaahhh he was going to have to change before sleeping tonight, oh ho boy. Least it wasn't going to be prickly tonight.

“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.”

"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be okay? Guys like that are a dime a dozen." She brought the cigarette to her lips again, figuring she could savor this one longer now that she wasn't in a public indoor space anymore. But despite her words, faint tears welled in her eyes and rolled silently down her face. When he opened up those old wounds, she had only been half-acting. Her blurry gaze drifted skyward, exhaling a cloud of smoke above her with a deep sigh. Of course I can't move on from that. Even now, I still miss them. . .

"Fucking bastard," she said to no one in particular.

She simply stood there and smoked, listening to Kane express his gratitude and shed some light on his own aspirations. It was strange for him to say that he wanted to be like her - he was much more determined when she was at his age, and by the sound of it, a much harder worker, too. Harkening back to the 'playground bully' comment she'd shot at Ash earlier, that was exactly what she used to be. And she still kind of was.

"If I have any advice to give you, don't strive to be like me," she simply replied to the boy, for a handful of reasons. "I'm not a good role model. Maybe you don't see it yet, but I've been around long enough to know where I stand. Just be you."

Rianne turned to partially face the other boy who had stood witness to this encounter as well.

"Once you finish buying what you need, check behind the store. There's a directory in the back." She extinguished the smoldering cigarette and flicked it into the open trash can, brushing her gloves off. "Sorry about all that. I don't think he would've paid you two any mind if I wasn't here."

Leviathan had made it as far as his office when he received the call.

The office was somewhere where Helena rarely strayed to, which suited him just fine. A large, low-light room, one end taken up by a wooden desk, and a perpendicular wall mostly occupied by a large fishtank. Large, dark shapes rifted about in the shadowy water.

The demon had taken a seat when he noticed it.

An old but familiar number buzzed the phone in Leviathan's hand, and upon answering, a message would be heard, obviously prerecorded.

"Good day, Leviathan. I couldn't help but overhear that you were ending your partnership with your oh so mysterious friends. I know how much that must pain you, so I called with an invitation that may work well in your favour- now, there's no guarantees, but how would you feel about sending your most lovely daughter over the the Warriors of Divine Light in Rome? Her purposes there could be.. quite useful. On top of that, we could purposefully put your lovely Helena into certain.. situations.. to assist in your plans. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement, of course, so I do hope that you'll consider. If so, please arrive with her at the coordinates that will be sent to you via mail shortly.

Regards,

Tor"

The phonecall ended quite abruptly, though he had expected as much.

Well.

Seemed like a change of tack had been a very auspicious decision on his part.

Leviathan smiled.

He was not averse to a bit of teamwork. If it benefited him. There were reasons that humans, one of the most successful of this world's creatures, were social animals.


---

Some Time Later...

Helena sat on the bench, thumbs sweeping about on the screen of her phone as she waited.

Her father has departed for a moment to take a call, but she wasn't exactly worried to give up ten minutes.

If anything, she was just pretty happy to be outside, enough that she didn't really mind where they were going. Her dad was...kind of particular about where he let her go, and had never given permission for her to step outside the house without someone accompanying her.

Honestly she wasn't sure what he was so worried about, wasn't like she had a lot worth getting mugged for. A rather scuffed-looking cell phone that had narrowly survived being dropped in her cereal twice to date, and a bag containing her notebook, two chocolate bars, and her stuffed rabbit.

Good luck trying to fence any of that.

She guessed, if anything, it was a throwback to...something else.
There had never been any illusions about Helena being adopted, and at one point, at around age twelve, she'd gone as far to ask her guardian why it was that he'd never had his own.

He'd not gone into much detail, but had mentioned that once he had had a wife, but that she had been killed. He didn't explain the circumstance,s and even then she'd not wanted to labour the point of what must have been a sensitive subject.

Still, it was pretty refreshing to be out by herself. It was looking to be a pretty good day.


--

A little way away, Leviathan stood leant on the corner of a building. The phone sat on one gloved hand.

He wasn't certain how things would play out from there on, which was not normally his style, but fortune favoured those who could adapt to new situations.

Something that, he hoped, would not be lost on his adopted daughter.

With any luck, the next time they met the dynamic was going to be very different.

The start of a whole new era.

Leviathan pressed the 'send' button on a text, over to the old, familiar number.

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

- :)'

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.

| Jonathan Black/JoJo |

"Would you be the hero, then?" JoJo chuckled softly as he turned around to grin at Vesper. "Maybe. Guess we'll find out, eh?" While he was turned around, he noticed Caius being kept behind while Illusion checked out a newspaper. He was a tad confused, but he shrugged it off as the taller man getting scolded or something. At the same time, he noticed Ash on her bike. He briefly wondered if the bike wasn't normal since it seemed to pull up for her out of nowhere, by itself, to boot. "JoJo..." Vesper's voice brought his attention back to her, the melody to it surprising him- she'd been quite emotionless, so it caught him off-guard to hear it. "If you go, take me okay?" He had no idea what she meant. Away from the WDL? Did she know that he was going to try to leave already? "It's.. not that obvious, surely.." He felt a tugging on his shirt, watching Vesper's hand grip onto the bottom hem of his top. She eventually let go of his shirt, however, and JoJo gave her a warm smile and leaned back slyly. "You know, if you want, I can totally hold your hand." He said it as a joke, but when he went back to his original position, his hand was slightly more open then before, and in the position to grabbed by the girl. If she went after his hand, he would've held it all the way to the projector room.

JoJo had walked into the projector room behind Rick, and almost jumped as he noticed Caius looking dazed in the corner of the room- yeah, he'd definitely remembered leaving in front of Caius. "Well, uh, that's not normal." He chuckled to himself softly before moving over to the table and taking one of the seats. He keenly watched as Rick moved around- and he briefly wondered why Rick was putting empty slides into the projector. He narrowed his brow, trying to make sense of it before deciding that Rick was probably going to do some crazy magic type stuff- Rick had been here for a while and JoJo assumed he wasn't some sort of novice, besides, JoJo had much more important things to focus on. As Rick turned the lights off once more, he shifted in his chair, following along with the presentation astutely. He grit his teeth slightly when the slide with the Tsuchigumo popped up, and he crossed his arms. That thing was only one of God knows how many types of creatures like it. It was terrifying to think that some random person nearby might suddenly erupt into a giant spider. JoJo shuddered thinking about it. He looked up, watching the slides swap from spider to edgy man to hairy man. He bit his lip, wondering just how many people out there were secretly, well, not people. He tossed that term around in his head a little. Not people? That spider girl seemed fairly human until she, well, became a spider girl. JoJo shook his head, sighing. "Guess I'll find out.."

"Now, you've been given a brief rundown by our principal, the esteemed Miss Illusion, but I feel as though it didn't satisfy the amount of knowledge you require in order to wholly accept a responsibility that's been thrust upon you without warning or consent. Know that like you all I too arrived here no differently." JoJo looked up at this, wondering just how long ago Rick had even arrived here. Probably a while, but it couldn't have been too long, could it? JoJo, at this point, noticed something in his peripherals- a piece of paper moving on its own to turn off the projector. At first he thought he'd imagined it, but the lights came on with Rick at the other side of the room as the projector shut off simultaneously. His eyes widened slightly as he realised he wasn't hallucinating, and he blinked hard- there wasn't a paper demon in the room or anything, was there? I mean, that'd be crazy, right? JoJo shook his head, clearing his thoughts (and remembering that spider ladies and vampire lolis were also crazy) before he looked up at Rick. A hand gestured right at him, and JoJo went a tiny bit wide-eyed.

"JoJo, our good friend of many. Any questions or concerns in need of addressing?"

"Fuck. Uh.."

JoJo bit his lip. He hated being put on the spot like this. He preferred having at least a few seconds to plan, but it only took him less than a second to gather his composure. Shaking his head in slight annoyance at himself, he spoke. "Sure, I have a few questions." He nodded to himself, looking up at Rick. "Firstly, I'd like to know more about that spider-type monster that attacked me. Tsuchigumo, was it? I'd like to know specifically if they're capable of regenerating their eyes and limbs." For someone who didn't know they existed, he seemed to have quite the knowledge. Of course, he was only calling what he remembered from the attack. He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes slightly at Rick- not in a hostile way, but more so because he was focusing on the questions he should be asking. "On top of that, I'd also like a more thorough explanation of the place we're in. Illusion said we'd be here for, well, ever, so knowing our way around would be nice, even if we just get given a map to take a bit of a look at. A tour after this would be good as well. Third, I'd also like to know why every person here is carrying a weapon." He held up his hand, two fingers popping up before a third joined them. "Fourth, are we getting paid or is everything here free? Do we get our own rooms, apartments, or what?" Jonathan's thumb popped up as well, before he closed his hand and lifted his pointer finger again. "Lastly, I'd like an explanation about this 'boot camp' that we're supposed to be going on."

He paused for a moment, closing his hand again and looking to the side for a moment, before looking back and staring Rick in the eyes. "Actually, as well as that.." He motioned to the projector behind Rick, slowly standing up. "Why did that paper move just now?" It was a general question- in fact, it wasn't even fully to Rick himself. As far as JoJo knew that paper was sentient and was going to try to eat his face at any second. "Paper doesn't turn off projectors by itself." It was an obvious and blunt call-out, but JoJo did it nonetheless. He really wanted to know why paper was moving by itself- he was fond of his skin and would rather it not be torn off and used as a scarf. He was also kind of hoping that he'd just foiled some paper demon's stealthy plan, but at the same time found himself hoping that wasn't the case.

He paused for one moment, then looked at Rick right in his eyes before he could respond any further. He put his hands down on the table, expression dead serious as he leaned forward, staring blankly at the presenter. "One last question before you give us your answers, Rick.." He closed his eyes, then opened them again while inhaling hard- whatever he was about to say must've been very, very important. "Where the hell is the nearest phone? I needa make a call."

I guess this is what one would call a lucky break in this type of situation. Keeping things under wraps had never been easy, especially when put under an extreme amount of stress when someone touches upon ground they really shouldn't. He could see the tears coming down her face, so she had been hurt by his comment more than she had let on. Well, at least one positive thing came out of this, he knew the man's face and had heard the voice spoken enough times to keep a good memory on both. There was no way he would forgive that man, nor would he forget about this. He wondered how many more people were like him here, he would have to keep an eye out for this later.

Seems like this Sister Rianne had some reason to not want people to aspire to be like her. He kind of felt the same way about himself, it would be awkward if he had to talk to someone who thought, expressed and looked just like him. The sister talks about the store, and this is where things started to get awkward for him. Oh, right, she thought he was a student here. He had honestly said the room part just to not make himself suspicious, he didn't want to add trouble while he was here, which had nearly been thrown out the window thanks to that guy from earlier.

Yohan decided to open and close his left hand repeatedly as he kept thinking about the guy, not to mention he needed an excuse now. Perhaps the simple route was the way to go? He'd try that, though it did make him thankful he seemed to be blending in so far. He was only here for one reason, and once that was done, he could get out of here and return to where he felt he would be needed soon. Thinking about it a little more, not even that rude guy tried making any cripple or injury insults at him, he couldn't really call it a win though considering he needed to get comfortable here until he found what he came looking for.

"Well, thanks for the tip. I'll check into it when I get the chance." It was all he could say, really. He didn't want her following him because he had no use for them. Attending classes just to learn about boring crap he'd forget as soon as he left? Yeah, no thanks, it wasn't for him. He wished he could just up and tell them, hey, I'm just here on a mission, no real biggie, I'll be gone before you know it! He'd probably miss some, no doubt, but he just figured they would meet up again when he could tell them who he really was and what he did. It reminded him of a certain laid back figure he used to know, and this made him reflect for just a moment again: SSM. He'd never forget those letters for as long as he drew breath. Though he doubted anyone here would actually care about what it meant, but to him, it meant everything.

Kane decided to speak next with lunch, at Rianne's room no less. He thanked the stars Kane hadn't suggested they meet up in his room, it would get awkward real quick standing out in the middle of a hall talking casually and such. But he had a feeling Rianne wouldn't exactly approve right off the bat, but he saw Kane get into this excited jumble and it made him hard to say no. So he shrugged and merely waited to see if Rianne had anything to say about this. Regardless of what happened, he figured Kane would more than likely offer his room if Rianne shot him down for hers. The less these two knew, the better off everyone was. Not like anyone had anything to worry about, anyway. If all went according to plan, everything would settle itself.

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?"

Rianne would've said something in response had Kane not bolted off with the trash can as soon as he was done talking. It wasn't like she was particularly opposed to the idea of having lunch in her room, but the least she could've done was let him now that it was going to be very messy. With a simple shrug, she turned to Yohan and said, "If you're not feeling up for it, I'll just tell him you were busy. He'll understand."

At the very least, it should be a decent opportunity to explain that she couldn't have him tagging along anywhere, not until the situation with Melody was resolved. Which may or may not involve her untimely death, and that would put their student-teacher relationship in a very awkward spot.

"Well, I'm gonna head back." As she began parting ways from Yohan with an off-handed wave, she said, "Try not to get in trouble while you're here, our security system doesn't take kindly to suspicious people." A visibly armed young man that didn't have the armband of a student nor the familiarity of a staff member - she wasn't sure how this random person got in here without supervision or legitimate clearance, but either way it'd be a hassle to deal with. Maybe there was justification for his presence here, or maybe he was some obscenely powerful non-human that didn't mind waltzing around in an exorcist base that was armed to the teeth.

Maybe I'll ask Illusion what his deal is if I happen to bump into her.

Ashley “Ash” “Soot” Clade

Ash had followed along with Rick and the others with muted interest. She’d already had a bit of a wander of the grounds herself, so she wasn’t nearly as taken in by the spectacle as the previous time. Still, the view was enough to keep her relatively quiet, and she somehow just felt more at ease while riding her motorbike. Her earlier fire from arguing with Rianne managed to die off as they headed into the academy, Ash calmly climbing off her bike and, after ensuring the others were out of ear and eyeshot, whispering to her bike some thanks and petting it much like she would an animal. Quickly jogging to catch up to the others, she followed up the stairs to what she could only assume was a meeting room. Casually moving in and taking a seat nearest to the door, Ash swiftly spun it around to sit in the reverse position and lean forward over the backrest, arms folded.

Cocking her head slightly as she came to notice the aggro-boy in the corner, Ash was quickly learning not to be surprised by the unexpected at this point. I mean, she’d said as much to him when she’d insulted the idiot earlier. They were going to have to get used to this crazy setup, like it or not. Vaguely watching Rick prepare the show, as well as just glancing around the room for anything of interest, Ash practically ignored her compatriots, her attention diverted elsewhere for most of the presentation. Adjusting her fringe slightly in the mirror, she turned back to note the present slide, a trio of images titled appropriately to reflect the content. Drumming her fingers along the rim of her seat, her disinterest was apparent, though contrary to what one might think, she was actually trying somewhat hard to pay attention. She just… Had a really hard time focusing on this kind of lecture. She was almost certainly a kinaesthetic learner, so lectures tended to go in one ear and out the other unless she really tried to pull it all together.

Soon enough, the lights came back on, Ash suppressing a yawn with her hand as she sat up slightly, stretching. The dimmed light and boring material tended to drain her energy pretty quickly, but at least Rick managed to keep his presentation short and succinct. Soon enough, Rick picked a victim to ask questions, and Ash couldn’t help a snicker escaping her lips as ‘JoJo’ was put on the spot. The dweeb seemed completely off guard, but to his credit, he recovered pretty quickly, and almost annoyingly asked a barrage of questions. Almost. The more questions he asked, the less likely Rick was to pester her for any answers, so Ash didn’t really mind.

The specificity of JoJo’s question piqued her interest, and she found herself wondering what he must have encountered before arriving here. Thinking back to the slide, she remembered the hemomancy, and she began to put two and two together. No doubt someone else had a connection to the third of the images, which meant… Well, how much did Rick know about each of them exactly? Frowning a little, Ash’s eyes followed Rick as he handed his phone to JoJo. Somehow, she got the feeling he was hiding stuff from them, and the fact that he knew more about them then she realised made her somewhat uncomfortable. Even the manner he conducted himself in was just… A little too helpful. There was a false air to his niceties that just left a sickly taste in her mouth.

Still, it was good to know her luggage would be transferred. Well, what survived of it. She might have to go shopping soon enough given the incident before her arrival, she was fairly certain that her one suitcase was now melted plastic on the side of a dirt road, along with that Hummer and… Biting her lip a little at the memory, she shook it off, trying not to let it get to her. After a few moments more, she began to realise Rick had gestured to her, even calling Ash out by name as he inquired if she had any questions. Shifting mildly uncomfortably, as she was partially sure that he’d just quipped her for her lack of attention, she remained seated as she corrected her posture a bit to look up. “Well…” She thought a moment, she hadn’t had anything in mind, but she did have a few nagging thoughts.

Will my family be okay? What are we cleared to tell them? Will they be protected? Are we allowed off the grounds? How much do you know about me? These questions and more popped into Ash’s head, though she held her tongue, looking away slightly. Nothing she wanted to ask in front of everyone. Torn between asking some weak question and simply passing, Ash met Rick’s somewhat smug expression. “Where’s the catering?” She asked somewhat mockingly, but the thought had crossed her mind. Before Rick had a chance to answer, she interjected again. ”But seriously? Maybe later, Dick.” She stated simply, trying to look disinterested. She wasn’t sure if Rick would pick up what she meant by that, but she’d grab him alone if she got the chance. Either that or find someone more senior to give her the answers she wanted.

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."

| Illusion |

Illusion stood beside the doorway, smirking slightly. "You suck." She didn't look at the girl behind her, but straightened up when the door opened and Rick stepped through. Waiting for him to finish and for the others to gather near the doorway, Illusion grinned and waved. "Late addition, I know, but I thought you guys would enjoy the extra company. You see, this girl here walked into our grounds because she's a super big idiot who doesn't know her rights from lefts, so now we have to keep her here for eternity because she's a super-duper idiot girl." Illusion smiled happily, looking over at the group, particularly JoJo as he arrived beside Rick and froze up. She raised her hand to motion to the girl beside her. "This is Dawn Memoli. Take good care of her because she's an absolute idiot and will believe anything you say." Her gaze once again shifted to JoJo, the sly smirk on her face only growing slightly larger. "Well, with those introductions out of the way, she lives on a diet of pet food and needs to be taken for a walk every day, so do have fun, ha ha~" With another wave, then a glance at Dawn as her eyes flashed ever so slightly, Illusion fell backwards into one of her portals and vanished. "Just kidding, she's fine, so treat her well~!"

JoJo blinked hard, narrowing his eyebrows.
"Dawn?"

The woman standing behind Illusion lacked much of a presence- especially in the face of the principal’s...eccentricity. It wasn’t that she was small in stature- although that was most likely a contributing factor- but the conservativeness in which she dressed herself. Dark colors, hardly a hint of skin showing, the rim of her hat tipped at such an angle that it hid her face. The only thing particularly eye-catching was the locket around her neck, which winked in the overhead lights above, and the apparent lack of surprise on her face as Ilusion began her introductions.

It seemed that, in what time that Dawn had been inside the base, she had already gotten to witness one of Illusion’s demonstrations. That, or she was attempting to manage a level of politeness in the face of an authority figure. Either way, the only real sign of expression was the purse of her lips as she listened, the tension rooted in her shoulders, and, as Jojo stepped forth, a widening of the eyes. Dawn didn’t speak immediately, however- it was only until Illusion had left that the formal stiffness melted away. A slight, relieved smile touched her face.

“Hey, Jojo.”

She lifted a hand, grasping the necklace around her throat.

“Sorry for not picking up. Was talking to the principal- it’s a long story- but, uh. You aren’t hurt or anything, right? I got your message, and then I got home and the apartment was a wreck…” Dawn shifted, wrapping the links tightly about her fingers.

“But you seem okay. That’s good.”

Her gaze moved away, suddenly, as if properly noticing the others filing behind him for the first time. Dawn smiled again, albeit a tad more sheepish than before. She extended a free hand towards the closest of the strangers- Rick- and stepped closer.

“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.”

When the phone was placed in front of her Vistra snatched it up. Remembering her manners she sent a grateful nod to Jojo before punching in her father's number.

He picked up after the third ring, his voice sounding much older and worn down than Vistra remembered. Vistra frowned. Her father wasn't very old. He was in his late thirties, having found Vistra was a young man of twenty. At the moment he sounded very middle aged.

She turned away from the group as to keep it slightly more private. 'Hello? Papa?'

Darren Mauve's reaction was so loud that all around her could here him shout through the phone. He sounded joyous, elated, and, Vistra noted with a smile, much younger.

Their conversation was much shorter than either would of liked. Vistra took a brief moment to explain what she was, what had happened and where she currently was. Using the helpful sheet Rick had given her she read off the dates he could come vist.

'Papa,' She said finally. 'I have to go now. I'll call you later okay? I love you so much Papa. Tell everyone I said hi and I miss them. Bye Papa.'

Brushing a few stray tears from her eyes she hurried after the rest. She handed the phone back to Rick and smiled. '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.' With one last big smile she turned to sew what the others were doing. She had missed most of the conversation, learning only that this newcomers name was Dawn and she was old friends with Jojo.

Vistra waved at her. 'Hello. I'm Vistra, nice to meet you.'