To Get Anything Done, Do It Yourself[open,hunters]

[Aras|Ofelia]

Heaving a sigh, An-qi followed suit. Soon, a young Chinese woman sat on the crate in place of the goose. Like On-ji, she wore glasses. Unlike On-ji, she lacked the brightly-patterned scarf. She wore a light jacket, but her pants were what drew the onlookers' attention; they would have been a pair of plain jeans if not for the grinning magenta whales embroidered every inch.

The look she gave the tigress-turned-woman was still one of obvious disapproval, though An-qi kept her mouth shut. The Elder had bitten back her pride and apologized, so that counted for something, she supposed. Bracing her forearms against her thighs, An-qi listened to her friend speak, nodding occasionally.

"It's part of the mall, Rena." She spoke up at last. "Expect to be disappointed.

"What do you need to know about us?" This, at Angelique. "You have our names, we have yours, and you know we're all fairly new here. And after you answer all of Cheung's questions, I have some of my own.

"And Bian Ly, stop gnawing on your flipper, there is no way that can be healthy."

[DesperateDark]

"And Bian Ly, stop gnawing on your flipper, there is no way that can be healthy."

The platypus made a huffing noise and turned, only to notice that the other two had turned back into humans. Ah well, might as well follow suit. Bian Ly was the one of the three that wasn’t Chinese. And, as was unspoken tradition among the trio, she wore her own article of oddball clothing.

She herself was wearing a knit gasmask that she had made when too much free time had been placed in her hands. It covered her whole head, with the exception of her eyes. Bian Ly’s voice could still be heard through it, albeit a bit muffled.

“Yes, some knowledge of the state of affairs would be dandy.” She leaned back, crossing her arms behind her head, addressing the female that claimed to be Elder of the town’s Hunters. “And pay is important, yes. I’m getting tired of living off tips and minimum wage; Oceana pays crap.” The Vietnamese girl was quite tired of sustaining herself on instant ramen and aquatic creatures she happened to swallow while in platypus form.

“Oh, and who the heck puts a grocery store in a small-town mall, anyways?”

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Angelique didn't like all these questions. She was the top of the food chain here so to speak. Any silly questions she had could be asked of the next in charge. But of course she need them. She wanted, and needed to squash these Innocents once and for all.

First off, majority of people here seem to have talismans and from what I know, most know of the 'disagreemet' between us and try to stay clear. The last report that was given to me said we have the higher numbers.

But the Innocents here are tricky little things. They have supurb hide-aways and their leader, a rather young women, who in my opinion is just lucky rather then good, seems to come up with decent plans. She is the main goal. I want her exterminated.

As well as a Hunter turned Innocent. Ryan Mulberry I think his name was. Anyways, he switched sides for he liked a girl, and he knows things about us. Things that have put the Innocents in a better spot. They have taken out too many of my men in the last month.

As for payment. My associates and I, pay very well. 20 an hour. And a 200 dollar bonus for every Innocent brought it. And ranks, well, you earn it. You need to do well, and gain the respect of the others. Any other small questions can be asked to the man I put you under.

She was growing agitated, but she needed them, and she shut her mouth and gave a polite smile.

[Fulong|Clara]

There was a brief snort of amusement and a faint "Are you my mummy?" directed at Bian Ly, but Onji's face betrayed nothing.

"I'd like exact numbers, if possible." She was being infuriatingly polite, as if she knew perfectly well she was being inquisitive but didn't really care. "'Higher numbers' are all well and good, but is the ratio four to three or twelve to one?"

She leaned against the wall, eyes half-closing, but her tone of voice remained relatively alert, with a touch of casualness to it that suggested she might as well have been discussing the weather. "What's this leader's name, and, more importantly, what's she done to you that makes you want her dead? How does she pose a threat--what plans has she carried out and, to the best of your knowledge, how? If you want us to succeed in this and any other missions you intend to assign to us, you wouldn't be remiss in describing her modus operandi. If this is the way you've been informing all your underlings of your missions, it's no wonder she's appeared to have gotten lucky every time."

A pause as she opened one eye fully before closing them. "At this point in time, Mulberry sounds like more of a liability than this unnamed young lady. What secrets does he know that have put you in danger? They're already out anyway; you might as well tell us now."

It was obvious that the hypothetical man under which they were to be placed could not be any better informed than Angelique, but Onji kept her mouth shut on the subject for the first time since she'd arrived here. "My colleagues here can discuss payment with you."

[Aras|Ofelia]

An-qi opened her mouth to speak but shut it when On-ji beat her to the punch. Unsurprisingly, her friend made very valid points, hitting on everything she had wanted to bring up herself. She had to admit it was a bit unusual to see her friend so... professional, but well, they were talking business.

When On-ji finally turned the subject of payment over to them, An-qi leaped in without hesitation. "Two hundred? You can't be serious. It isn't even worth the trouble if the pay is that depressing. No wonder you're having so much trouble--none of your subordinates can even muster the proper motivation to do their job correctly. I can barely buy a Nintendo Wii with that!"

An indignant huff. An-qi straightened up and squared her shoulders, looking Angelique in the eye. "Eight thousand a head. Minimum. Each." She tossed the figure out without batting an eyelash. "And before you throw a fit at that, we were paid nine, ten in Toronto."

In the back of her mind, An-qi reminded herself to later ask about this man under which the Elder intended to place them. But for now, her main concern was their paycheck.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Angelique bristled inside noting that these Hunters were, well, very skilled. It would do her well to get them on her side. She did want the job to just get done. She lifted her head a little and looked them all over, politely, yet business like.

Jocelyn Sanders is the Innocent Elder. She has started a campaingn against us here in this town. We are unsure as to why, but from what I have been told, we are guessing it ran in the family so she continues it. Oh and apparently she doesn't like our..harsh ways of doing things. She has repeatidly attacked employees of mine, getting them cornered alone, or their houses, while they sleep, and eliminating them. She has help of course. But she is very sneaky. The Ryan gives her the layout of the houses, and the mansion, where people are, their routines etc. He knows who is better and who to watch out for, basically he keeps her under the radar.

She paused and looked around once more trying to read the expressions on their face. She takes out my men, I want her taken out. Simple as that. As for payment. Eight it is. I have deep pockets and need to get this...under control.

She wasn't sure she wanted to go into the ratios, for if they new they had the higher number and was still being beaten, they would laugh and most likely walk off to a better deal. Angelique started to pace back and forth, she felt antsy and needed to move. I have lost some of my best men to her and her rebels. She decided to go for it. We have about 9. They have about 4. Maybe 5.

Anything else? She said with a slight evidence to her frustrations.

[DesperateDark]

Again, On-Ji beat both of them and began rattling off matters, before handing the concern of finances off to An-Qi and Bian Ly. An-Qi dove in first without a moment’s pause, immediately complaining of the meager two hundred dollars per head they brought in, and that wasn’t for each either.

And, of course, An-Qi mentioned how much they were all paid back in Toronto. It was a huge leap from what this Angelique Sharpe woman was offering. It could safely be said that none of the three worked for cheap.

“Dude, two hundred bucks isn’t worth killing somebody and the mess that comes with it… Unless it’s, you know, we make people explode for the lulz, then pay is just a bonus in that case.” A pause as she expected Angelique to bargain down the price, but was caught off guard when she readily agreed to the huge amount. She shot each of the other two a look that asked: ‘is she for real?’ before turning back to the woman.

“Who is this man that we’re to be put under? He needs to be at least competent… And preferably Asian so we can share instant ramen and shit like that.”

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Angelique starred at the Hunters and again thoughts went through her head on their experiece, which they seemed to be. What did they think of her? Were they worth the 8k for each innocent? She hoped so. She kept pacing slowly around the warehouse, wanting to get back to her large oak office, her big bay window, and of course her huge bedroom and bath, including gicouzzi. She decided to ignore the pay comment, although she wanted to defend it, saying in such a small town that seemed more then adequate. But maybe they have a point. Yes. She agreed. She would give the other Hunters a raise. Not 8k, of course, but maybe 1 or 2k per head, dead or alive. She turned to the one who asked the next question.

I will have to look into that. I will talk to the ones I have, and see who will be willing to take you on. For your orders will come from him, passed down from me. As of the Asian part again, that will have to wait and see. Please be patient with that. As of now, you can be on your own, if you wish.
She did not normally give them free rain, but she thought that might keep them more intersted, plus she really did have to find someone to be their boss. If anyone wanted to take them on.

[Fulong|Clara]

Details. Details were good. Not nearly as detailed as Onji liked, but that was understandable; a leader who gave away details too readily might find themselves the leader no longer very soon indeed. She kept leaning against the wall, for all intents and purposes the picture of relaxation, but it was clear that little gears were turning behind those closed eyelids.

"Tough job losing Mulberry. They couldn't have picked a better person to turn, considering what you told me he knows." She shifted a little, recrossing her legs, humming faintly under her breath. Planning attacks was just about the only thing that could get her out of her usual torpor. "Here's the deal, Ms. Sharpe. We'll take him out first. Without his providing Sanders with information, she'll have no idea where to go or whom to trust.

"I just have three stipulations. One, you inform no-one else of this meeting. I hardly need to tell you why. As far as anyone else knows, we're just researchers stopping in town, and I want to keep it that way. Getting information is easier when you can tell people you're an Innocent. If other Hunters attack us for that, we're more than capable of fending for ourselves.

"Two, you change the positions and assignments of your men immediately. I don't want to give you orders, but frankly that's something you should have done as soon as Mulberry turned. Change your safehouses, your locations, everything. And give us the information directly, at another meeting, as soon as you've done so. It seems to me like the reason you've been losing men, despite the fact that you outnumber them, is because you've kept your usual routines.

"Three is something you've already done, and that's offer us free rein. We're new in town, and we intend to use that like our lives depend on it. Mulberry doesn't know who we are and how we strike, and that's the best tactical advantage anyone could ask for." She opened her eyes at last, and they were surprisingly alert behind those thick lenses. "I personally don't give a damn whom you put in charge of us if we fail."

[Aras|Ofelia]

An-qi was rather surprised that the Elder accepted their price without so much as a struggle--as was Bian Ly, judging by her incredulous look. An-qi had half a mind to ask for more right there and then, but perhaps it would better to just take the offer as it was. Maybe later, if they were sent after any higher-ranking Innocents, they could push up the numbers.

She slouched forward again, content to listen as her friend spoke. On-ji was thorough, no doubt about that. Pity most Elders were chosen by bloodline; it often seemed like the subordinates had more of a mind for tactics than the leaders. Case and point. Still, the thought of On-ji as an Elder was quite amusing--she would probably hate every moment of it. An-qi doubted that her a higher rank would change her habit of sleeping through all the meetings.

"Tell us everything you know about Mulberry." Head tilted slightly to the side, she looked thoughtful. "And his girl, too--anything on her would help."

[DesperateDark]

An-Qi's curious look reflected her own, but when she turned back to Angelique to inquire about this Ryan Mulberry guy, On-Ji beat her to it once again, so she just shut her mouth and nodded along with what her friend had to say. On-Ji was certainly running the show here, so she let her. It certainly did make some sort of sense; she was the oldest and the tallest. She might've mad a good Elder, if she would get over the fact that she would hate it, of course.

Bian Ly took a deep swallow at On-Ji's mention of failure. Gah, how the Vietnamese girl hated failure, no matter what kind it was. So, she supposed, she would make a point of being somewhat competent during this mission, now that the subject of failure had been brought up. Bian Ly leaned forward to brace her hands against her knees now, listening a bit more carefully.

"And how about the person who turned him in the first place? We might need to keep tabs on whoever that is too."

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Angelique opened her with surprise at the Onji woman. She was very impressed, very impressed indeed. She moved over to a small wooden table and pulled out the chair that was next to it, she again wiped the dust off, for she was wearing a very nice tailored suit, and sat down. She crossed her right leg over her left and folded her hands in her lap.

You seem to know what you are doing Onji. Impressive. As for Ryan, he was born into the life of a Hunter, mothers side. I don't know much about his father, he may have been a Hunter with someone else, maybe not. He never had the natural talent to excel, and has proven it on a few occasions. Yet he never seemed to like the life. He became a bit distant, lost his motivation. He kept having conversations with his mother about him, saying we have to do something and get him in line. She couldn't bare punishing her own son. So I began taking harsher routes to get him to focus on his job. Several weeks later he went to Oceana, which he would go once in a while, to drink and pick up a girl. You know.

Then of course he met her. The young pretty, sassy bartender. God knows what he saw in her. But, she influenced him and he is convinced he loves her. All I know about her is shes the bartender at Ocean, might have a second job, and her first name, Kali. And an Innocent. she was the one who turned him to her side. I had sent people to take him, or both out. He eliminated them quickly and easily. He's good. Very good and it only makes me more disappointed we lost him.

Two I will, of course, not inform anyone else. Who can you trust these days anyways? Three, I will move everything and keep you updated.

She took a breath after talking for so long and tapped her foot on the floor as she looked at Onji. Her eyes didn't move from her, calculating, analyzing and coming up with her own opinions on the woman. She slowly started to very lightly nibble on her bottom lip, a habit she got into when she was deep in thought. She was feeling good about this meeting. They seemed to be skilled and now what they were doing. She was thrilled.

Now, Onji. I like you, your style and I can tell you don't take shit from people. You know what you are doing. I could use someone like you. For now, would you be willing to, so to speak, be in charge of your friends here? Do any of object to that? Also, in time, once I have seen you in action and the results, I could easily see an open position for Elder with your name on it. I would you to be my right hand girl. My adviser, if you will.

She gave her a kind smile. She liked this one. She could so see them as a team, kicking some serious Innocent butt. Even getting rid of them all together. Now that would be perfect. free of the vermin.

[Fulong|Clara]

"I've been doing this for a while," Onji said neutrally. "Could you provide us with the name and address of Mrs. Mulberry? We may want to pay her a visit or two and see what she can tell us of her son. She'll help us if she wants him back or dead, and there's that old, tired saying about mothers knowing their kids better than anyone."

She sighed and rolled her eyes theatrically when Angelique brought up Kali. "It's always a sassy bartender, isn't it? Killing her is out of the question--we'd lose a bargaining chip that way--but we might be able to get some information out of her, too." A grin. "Any excuse to go clubbing, and all that. I'm due for some pubhopping anyway."

That grin, however, vanished at the mention of an Elder position. "I object," she said stonily. "We're a democracy. I might talk the most, but we make decisions together. I'd be willing to function as a liaison between our group and the rest of your hunters, and if you want to bounce ideas off of me, I can do that too, but I don't want to hear any talk about rank and shit."

[Aras|Ofelia]

"You told us almost nothing useful about Mulberry. We need more. His training, his talisman--the girl's, too--any known weaknesses. Everything. How many people have you sent after him? Why did they fail? We want details. And do you really have no clue whatsoever about where he's taken residence since?"

An-qi snorted at Angelique's suggestion that On-ji be their leader. "You're kidding, right? Cheung would ask us to run to the grocery store and fetch her a bag of chips and a soda while we did her laundry."

She stood up, reflexively dusting off her jeans. "Oh, and back on the subject of payment--we'd like you to cover for all other costs and expenses that might be incurred during the course of the mission. Equipment, cleanup, repairs."

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Angelique did a mental sigh. She just couldn't get away with anything betweent them all. She uncrossed her legs to switch the position, then crossed the left over the right. She flicked her head to the side quickly, sending a bunch of bangs out to the side and out of her eyes.
Ryan is a Hyena and a very big skilled fighter. The girl is a cougar. Ryan's weakness is the girl. So work through her. She will be really good for bait. We know that he moved into the girls apartment, our men attacked and they escaped. Last we have heard of them was a Hunter of mine found in the woods, east side of town. He was killed by Ryan. That is the last we have seen of them besides a spilt second sitting in town, shopping. We think they are in hiding together..in the woods somewhere. We have sent three people, all now deceased. They failed because he is just better in everyway. Killed them hand to hand combat.

As to the comments about Onji being their leader, she rolled her eyes. You can still all decide together. But a true rank on her belt would help when she is helping me. Plus, Elder pays better. But fine. Its a loss for me, but I can deal with you being on your own.

Angelique stood up and started to pace again, she smacked her pant legs to rid of some dust and moved to the window, looking over the dock and the water.
This is a nice...place you got here. I was told, but never been here before. Oh, right Mrs. Mulberry, my apologies. She lives in the large Mansion, with the majority of us Hunters. Off Pine Street Manor. She may, or may not be very talkitive about him. I feel Ryan is a huge disappointment in her eyes. To all of us actually.

She lifted her wrist and peeked at her watch, noting the time and how long she has been here. She had to get going, had a long list of things to do. She clapped her hands together and looked at the girls.
Well, I must get going. Here is my card.
She handed each of them a business card.
We will get you phones if you need them, and anything else you require to complete your missions. Anything else before I leave?