Inspector Nilan was buried in reports, all pertaining to the recent murders as of late within Orchidia. They only had one thing in common, the victims were all slit in their throats. Beyond that, there were no consistencies of note, and what's more, no motives to be seen. It looked like the work of a madman but that was all that could be said.

Residents of the city were advised to maintain a strict curfew, although beyond that the Rune Knights had nothing else of note to be said. This was troubling for Inspector Nilan as he was feeling the pressure to report back with a breakthrough, or at least show they were making progress in the case. Yet as it stands, they were at a loss. There was never any significant evidence to collect, and what's more, the killer was never seen. Always slip into the alley and places that the other knights would not normally attend. It was a harrowing thing but not much can be gleaned from that for the moment. This was becoming too big of a problem now, and his lack of resources was becoming apparent. An attempt to alert and request help from a guild to look over the case was made and sent that morning. With now seven victims, they could not wait to break the mystery for themselves. Too many lives have already been lost and the city was beginning to panic.

Ravens were always perched around the city, and they would often go unnoticed. People had a strong tendency to never look up, nor do they ever think that much of the birds who peer into their lives. Safe to say, Lumikki had long been informed of the matters within the city, and having friends within made her protective. All her loved ones were maintained, and whatever word or update was there to be had, she already knew. The Revna would have stepped in sooner to cull the monster as she enjoyed encountering their like to show a monster in return. It was just that this was not a simple matter to cleanse and go. The Rune Knights had taken priority of the case and therefore jurisdiction of what was to come of it. Being akin to a guild of their own, it was now on them to surrender their claim and for her to wait before she could make moves. Sure enough, albeit far too long, did they finally release their hold. Opening the case to any other who could intervene.

The quest need not hit her board as she was already informed. So after a lofty breakfast, she claimed the slip and was off to her destination to meet with Inspector Nilan. Takao a friend of hers and one invested in justice himself, had already been brought up to speed by a series of her notes sent by her ravens and word from her harpy, Tenevi.

Tenevi was perched high up, just finished with her task to organize the ravens with the current plan, when she spotted Lumi leaving. She leaned from her post, letting gravity take her until she pulled her wings back to slow and then stopped her fall." All is in order Revna. They are all making their way to the city now to add with the eyes. We should get this matter cleared with by tomorrow if the killer was willing to show their hand again this night."

" Aye, good work love. Keep hidden in the meantime. Wouldn't want more prying eyes to know all of me plans. Orchidia knows the ravens are mine, but they figure working in the dark would save them from me sight. Sure it works on me birds but not us, so I'll need them thinking they could cover a blind spot on us at all times. Only show yerself after they've made their mess..." She made sure to shift her form to one fully human as to not pull more attention of her own.

Takao was sitting infront of a coffee shop, his new shiny black shoes tapping against the ground as he stared up into the sky, atleast that is what everyone else around him would have seen. Just a man in a tuxedo and a felt top hat staring into the sky, most likely thinking of all the money is making just by sitting there. What Takao was really staring at was the ravens. There were far too many of them in this town to be normal, and he already knew that what was normal for him was very bad for the rest of the world. Though that is because he knew that one of his only friends that wasn't Joyan or a God was still in the city. Lumikki. Takao had only recently came back from visiting his home, and he had yet to tell Lumikki about his new magic or his new clothes that he acquired from a shop for a high price, but they did make him feel as the kids would say "fly as fuck boi".

Takao didn't have to wait for very long before a raven flew over to his table, and dropped off a note before flying away. At this point in his relationship, this was an extremely normal way for information to be transfered. Eventually a new person showed up, though they clearly if not belonged to Lumi was heavily influenced by her. The feathers and the purple kinda gave it away in Takao's mind but that wasn't important as he listened to the report. So there was a murder going on, and Lumikki wanted his help with this problem.

Takao knew that this person was most likely significantly below Lumi's paygrade, through the quests that Lumikki meet Takao on were nearly below HIS paygrade to do. Either way, eventually Takao stood up and began to walk towards the location of where Lumikki had told him to be. Takao had assumed he was basically there to make sure the guy or girl didn't slip through some crack they didn't know about, though at best Takao could maybe slow them down long enough for Lumi to get there and kill the man with a single spell. Never the less, Takao stood there and waited until he heard the sound of a scream in the distance, at which point he began to run to go see what had happened.

Takao arrived at the location to find a man, his throat cut from ear to ear and left for dead. When Takao looked up and around to see if any ravens were nearby, he didn't find any. He wasn't sure if that was because they had been killed before this or what happened but he knew that they should have been in this location.

With a sigh, Takao reached down and closed the man's eyes and tried to put his face into a peaceful position before looking around for Lumikki who he knew would be here soon, if not already here. Not wanting to listen to Lumi comment on his clothes right now, as a murder had just happened he says simply to her " I believe it would be best to use me as bait for the next round. "

WC 541

With the lack of time and resources, Inspector Nilan could not wait long enough for Takao, the partner of Lumikki, to arrive. She wasn’t surprised but she would of preferred him there. It would be easier to keep him on the same page, but her birds would simply have to do the work to keep him informed.

“ I know I was vague in the quest slip but we called you to assist in a case currently open for investigation. We do not know enough presently but we are hoping that the presence of someone on the outside could bring new light to this case.” Inspector Nilan Was beginning his briefing. His three knights sent to escort her to the area were on their way but had not yet arrived. It was only the two of them for the moment.

” Please dear, spare me. And as an inspector I am sure ye know who I am but I suppose this is pleasantries. I’ve been following this problem since the first night and honestly I wouldn’t trust many people for the moment until we find out whose doing this is. Slitting throats aren’t me preferred methods and me partner is one for justice. Beyond that, having the least amount help would be me preference.

Inspector Nilan Was taken aback but not by much. Sighing deeply as he took to a stop. “ Habits I suppose…but this saves me time explaining the plan. My men will take you to a location to begin and I guess I will hear from you.”

” Aye, ye will. Me partner will meet me later, so look out for ravens if I have much further to say.”

Nilan would leave her to it and his men, after a bit of time, would finally meet with her and lead her over to the last scene. Lumikki was humoring them, she knew quite well where the last victim died and what became of it, but she didn’t want to let on more that she’d like. Feigning ignorance was more handy than putting out just exactly how much one knows. The inspector was another matter, it was his profession that would lead her to assume he’s recognized her. Her reputation was climbing high enough that she would be known at least by title alone now. So as she waited for her escorts she tucked herself in her hood and on their arrival, hid her face in darkness.

“ Are guild men always this theatrical?” One knight asks the other as they lead her on. “ Not quite sure, but its kinda creepy..” Another would answer him. “And their from Dawn ya say?” The third would chime in. “Yea so I heard. It’s the nearest guild not that Sleeping Calamity was gone.” “Gone? Is that why things grew quiet in the last few months?” “Are ya a dilt for not knowing that? What kinda Rune Knight are you anyways….but you know, I do kinda miss having things around. Things have been too quite since they left.” “Quiet is good mate, trust me. The paper work was beginning to kill me more than the thugs did. Alright, so here we are now. This is the recent scene of the crime, yea? I’m sure the inspector caught you up to speed so we can be on out way now.”

Lumikki would wave them away and they would take off barely a moment later. Squabbling more as they walked down the street and left her to look around. But she would not budge, there was nothing to see really. Nothing was left behind since the knights had found the body, not even her ravens had much to report. And so she would meld with the darkness instead while she waited and observed. Invisible to all as she wander in plain sight. Her harpy was stilling flying in the skies as well until it was the time to bring Takao over, to which she did.


Night comes and the scream of a victim could be heard. Lumikki fashioning wings, would fly over to the scene. Takao made it over first and he was looking after the man. When he carefully closed his eyes, the Demoness would understand that he was dead.

Her eyes would get stuck on his outfit, but his words would beat her to the punched. Still the fox below would hear her cackle as she could hardly hold it in. Her veil of darkness would almost give in as her concentration was gone, but she found it in her for a moment to properly answer. ” Very well fox, but don’t let yerself get killed. Me and me harpy won’t be too far…” And so she went back to being undetectable again as she kept her partner company. Lofting in the air as she waited for the next strike to occur.

Takao heard a cackle in the darkness, though he wasn't sure if that was because of his outfit or because of something else. Lumikki is alittle strange in that regard. But Takao had a plan atleast, though he didn't like the plan very much. As Takao began to walk down the street, he had pretty much assumed that Lumikki would be somewhere nearby, after all.. he was the bait.

As he walked, pretending to basically not notice a single thing, just a rich dude being dumb as hell, in a city where murders have been happening on the street at night, on the street at night. No biggie there. As he walked down the street he did eventually hear the sound of someone coming out of the alley he had just pasted. Takao apparently had gotten a bite. He continued to walk, pretending not to hear the noise behind him as he heard the man approach and Takao braced himself for the pain.

It didn't take long for it to come as Takao felt a blade slide across his throat and deep, though not quite deep enough to cause Takao to instantly lose conciousness from shock. This was the moment when Takao's lungs started filling with his own blood as he fell to his knees, but Takao had a trick up his sleeve. Even as he had fallen to the ground, his wound started to steam as the sound that was just made was already beginning to close from the regeneration he has from Kurama. Though in the dark of night, and with all of the blood, it was very hard to see it for someone not looking for it.

He heard the man then say something very strange, " Did I just kill the Monopoly guy? " as he looked over Takao's body. Takao didn't pay him any mind as he assumed the man would be dead in a moment or at the very least left in a state where he couldn't harm anyway. It didn't take long before the wound was completely closed, and all Takao had to do at this point was cough up all the blood that had filled his lungs. Which Takao did on his hands and knees, blood coming out of his mouth as he cough and spit up as much of the blood as he could.

Takao now took the time to pay attention to his surroundings, and he assumed that because he wasn't stabbed multiple times already that Lumikki had come in and saved him from this issue. Looking around himself he had hoped to find the person who just tired to kill him along with Lumikki waiting for him. It was then he realized that he didn't tell Lumikki that he now had a new powerful Beast Soul inside of him and that maybe she thought that he had really died. He would look at Lumikki and see if she did think that he had died for real there.

1,000+ WC

As she flew above, Tenevi would glide near and whisper to her that the prey was in sight. Lumikki would nod as she gestured to the harpy to cut of all other paths ahead. Not like she worried he could ever escape her, she would only need to glance at him once to track him down to the end of his life.

And sure enough, here came the rat scurrying the alleys, ever so eager to carve up her friend. Takao hardly betrayed the knowledge of knowing their target was close behind, never once breaking in pride. Lumi clapped soundlessly as she knew quite well he’d know the beast approaches, those ears were hardly for show. And as the killer was closing in the distance, so was she as she lowered herself in her glide to play with her prey as well.

What happened next surprised her, figuring the man who took her surprise touch last time as enough of a threat to pin her down and draw his blade. Yet here he let the job of bait go too far, allowing this rat to slash his throat.

Darkness wrapped around her rather quickly as she descended. She didn’t even notice it herself, but her form was shifting to that of her hybrid. Feathers wrapped around her body and talons took the placed of her hands and feet.

Takao managed to remain alive, this eased off some of her anger but none of her disdain. Sighing in relief she chalked it up to his lineage. The rat in his bewilderment didn’t notice the shadows wrapping around and coiling at his feet. When he went to plunge another attack, he was confused instead.

Her veil would come undone as she walked soundlessly to her prey. Her form finally being revealed to him, or at least how much he could truly see in all the darkness. Only her glowing eyes were made clear now.

Frost would creep along the floor rapidly between the rat and her, and though her frame was small, it was imposing at the moment. At first the man was stunned with the fear from the sudden bind and cold, the Demon approaching him didn’t help his paralysis. When he finally got enough strength back to attempt to scream, Lumikki was already far too near. Her talon lightly brushed along his throat as her wings would push her higher in the air. She would not let her height deny her and of the fun. ” It’s funny ye choose the throat rat, as I do as well….” She would lightly whisper into his ear as the frost would creep within his throat. Slowly closing his wind pipe so that he would have to struggle to breathe. She tapped a talon along the side of his neck as a grin wore on her face, fangs entirely exposed from her glee to claim his life. She finally pulled the mask from his face to humor knowing who he was, only to break into a soft chuckle. ” Kukukuku, a dog of the knights was off playing bad guy. Aaah and the one who missed Sleeping Calamity too~ Unless of course ye only wanted to be them.

Lumikki would savor every bit of fear in his eyes. There was nothing he could do, powerless to move, powerless to breathe. She pointed to her partner behind her and whispered once more into his ear.” The one who would of kept ye alive and deliver ya to justice is now on the ground hall dead. Ye played yer game rat, and ye’ve made yer choices.” Both her hands cupped his face as she pulled back and watched. Willing her ice to freeze his blood and cause it to jut from his body. The man would bleed out if he wasn’t so frozen. Even when she took her talon to his throat, there was nothing left to pour.

Lumikki lowered herself back to the ground, her form shifting back to one entirely human. Takao was just about finishing his recovery and has yet to see her for who she was. She pushed the man over so that he would shatter, her cruelty was for her alone to know. His broken pieces only making it clear he was frozen above all else. Though his head was intact enough to recognize for the Rune Knights to confirm.

Lumikki walked over to her fallen friend trying to offer him support. ” I knew ye bore from gods but I didn’t figure ya got tricks like those. Next time ye offer to be a bait, at least avoid needless pain aye? Ye had this wee defenseless frost mage worried she’d let the rat escape. But seeing ya down gave me the courage, albeit too much~”