The Beast Unleashed [Shiina]

It was early morning in Endymion and high in the skies of East Eden soared a helicopter carrying a certain unknown "package." Flocks of birds scattered in its wake taking caution to avoid the vehicle as it slowly closed in on a nearby mansion on the horizon. The inhabitants of the destination had already been alerted about its arrival a few days in advance and, what with how early in the day it was and the small size of the rural district's population, it was likely that they were the only ones who'd bear witness to the chopper. It was a beginning that started with a whisper in place of a bang, a deliverance in the asscrack of dawn that'd quietly introduce a new player to the game of war and intrigue that was every second growing closer and closer to consuming the city. Her name was Azami and, well...



The Tsurinai Group were a practical bunch of people. While some might scoff at the idea of allowing "mere animals" to deal with the supernatural, those people who did so were more often than not simply ignorant of the supernatural in one way or another. The potential was the potential: the wise would capitalize on this and, in fact, already had. Azami was but one of a handful of guard dogs just like her and she was well aware of this fact. Nevertheless, she was unique in more than a few ways, from her eccentric attire to her incredibly potent potential. Hell, the fact that she was being sent to Endymion made her a rarity in and of itself, though that didn't mean it was anything to be pleased about. Azami had grown quite accustomed to Japan and the idea of being shipped off to some foreign hellhole to assist people who likely hadn't even heard of the Tsurinai Group before didn't appeal to her in the slightest. Still, she had no choice, and she knew better than to make a fuss about it. Whatever awaited her there was no doubt important and with only one agent in the area, she'd certainly prove invaluable to whatever operations were being conducted there.


Sitting quietly in her chair, Azami waited patiently for the helicopter to land. If what she had heard was true then she'd be meeting with this "Shiina" the second she stepped out of the helicopter. The Shiba almost felt bad for the girl considering just how early in the morning it was, but any pity she had was shortlived; this was a Tsurinai and if Azami had learnt anything over the course of her life, it was that they were tough as hell. The Tsurinai Way was hardwork, so something as simple as getting out of bed at a different time than normal would no doubt fail to pose any challenge in the slightest, especially to someone trusted enough to act as the sole agent in the city. At least that was the logic Azami operated under; for now it was impossible to make any judgements. She'd have to wait until she met her new master for herself before she could come to any conclusions.

As the helicopter made its way toward the helipad and began to land, Azami would carefully shake her head side to side until the sunglasses she was wearing gently fell off her head and into the seat. She'd hop down and straighten her posture as Inugami himself stood up and swiftly dusted off his clothing. After a quick stretch of the neck, he'd waltz over to the door and once the servants opened it would waste no time in exiting the vehicle and approaching Jakob, paying little to no mind to the rest of the staff as they found themselves engrossed in performing their respective duties. Azami would attempt to follow suit and step out onto the helipad alongside him, but upon noticing the blockade of retainers and vassals who had gathered to stop her from rushing out, she'd simply stop and stand in place in front of them. Gazing at them with a disinterested, passive glare, the dog would pause for a moment before approaching slowly and stopping at the edge of the doorway, obediently waiting for them to either take action or step aside so that she could continue on her path uninterrupted.

Meanwhile, when Jakob offered up his thanks, Inugami would respond with a relaxed yet professional nod. The whole conversation seemed to reek of formalities, but that was to be expected, and quite frankly he wouldn't have it any other way. "It's my pleasure, really. Blood is thicker than water; if this is in the interests of the family then it's in my interest too. But your gratitude is acknowledged and appreciated." He remarked in response to the butler before turning his attention elsewhere. As Shiina approached he fell quiet, although once she finished her questioning he'd begin his response, prepared to answer any questions she might have. Before he could though, his greyish eyes caught a glimpse of the registration paper and a light, falsely astonished grin crept across his face. "Ah, what a surprise! I'm glad to see you came prepared; it speaks well of you Shiina." On the surface it was a compliment, but whether by his intention or some Freudian slip, the statement hid a dash of vitriol within it. It subtly implied there was a reason to doubt her capabilities, that it was shocking to see she had things under control. He'd quickly move on, however, leaving no time for anyone who managed to pick up on it to address it as he instead segwayed into the topic at hand.


"Her name is Azami, but truthfully you may call her whatever you like. Animals with the potential tend to demonstrate superior intelligence to their normal counterparts and usually grasp human speech in ways similar to how we do. So if you feel so inclined then you can address her as something different than her birth name; she's been trained well enough to pick up on what you mean without trouble."

Though outwardly he retained his composure and smile, Inugami's teeth would slam down onto his tongue as Shiina made her retort. He begrudgingly nodded at Shiina in recognition of her "compliment" and turned his attention to Jakob as the butler reiterated the offer from before. "It's tempting, but I believe I'll have to pass. I'm a busy man after all. Besides..." He paused and made his way over to the helicopter taking a seat inside and looking back over at the butler.



Azami would waste no time in answering Shiina's summon. With swift speed, she'd lightly jog her way over to her new master. Noticeably her tail wasn't lowered, although it wasn't raised either, instead sitting in the middle of the air while the Shiba closely studied the Wild Card with curious yet unassuming eyes. She had no qualms with following orders as evidenced by how she was currently obeying the Tsurinai's commands, but respect was another thing entirely: it had to be earned on a personal level. Azami would not submit herself completely to the Cadet until she was certain of her master's capabilities; this was just the way she was as a person. "Besides," the dog figured, "it'd be insulting to pronounce a judgement of a person on the spot, regardless of whether it's positive or negative."

So this place had a garden, huh? It wasn't too surprising to hear considering the size of the mansion and the amount of free space in East Eden. Taking a mental note of that, Azami would carry on and follow Shiina while continuing to listen to her carefully. Upon arriving at the door she'd study it closely for a moment and take note of its features, but her focus would shift as her ears would pick up on Shiina's question. It was somewhat amusing to hear that question, but not in a bad way; she had grown used to hearing the humans around her lick Inugami's boots, so to see someone so openly express contempt for him was a breath of fresh air. "Annoying isn't the word I'd use... after all, it's definitely an understatement." Of course, she was well aware that Shiina wouldn't understand it, but perhaps the happy tone of the bark would give some of the intent behind the sentence away. Regardless of her reaction (assuming she even gave one), Azami would stride into the room and right into her bed, which she would proceed to roll around on as much possible in an instinct-driven effort to get her scent on it.

Taking a short time to do that, the shiba would march its way back to Shiina's side after finishing, making sure to take as little time as possible to get back to her. The woman's question wasn't something she could answer easily considering the language barrier, but the grumble that sounded from Azami's stomach would more than do the talking for her, and she'd patiently sit down on the carpet awaiting the Tsurinai's move. Once she decided to head downstairs Azami would follow assuming that her new master hadn't changed her mind about the offer.

Following Shiina downstairs and continuing to examine her surroundings along the way, Azami was more than eager to enjoy whatever meal awaited her, although she wouldn't let it show and instead would follow the Wild Card patiently with a composed expression on her face. It was only once the two arrived at their destination that this facade would be challenged as the delectable, sweet aroma of the meals the workers were preparing reached the dog's nose, but even so, her resolve wouldn't wane and she'd remain collected despite the temptation laid out before her. There was no benefit that would come from whining and begging for the already-prepared food (especially when she'd have breakfast soon enough anyway).

The reactions of the maids weren't too surprising. She'd study them and their faces for a few seconds making sure to take note of their names before proceeding over to her chair as requested by her master. Hopping up onto it with almost catlike agility, the shiba would quietly take its place at the table and await the moment of truth. When the beef was laid before her she'd nod politely at the maids and wag her tail accidentally whacking the back of it lightly in the process. Staring down at the slab of meat, the small creature would lean forward, open her jaws slowly, and proceed to greedily wolf it down in just a few bites.

"I'm still not sure about this city, but at the very least the food at the manor is excellent." Of course, she wouldn't fool herself into thinking that this would be an everyday occurrence, but for now she'd make the most of the moment and enjoy herself to the fullest extent possible without comprising her dignity. Looking over at Shiina, the dog would analyze her movements and her choice of tea, scrutinizing every detail no matter how seemingly minuscule or irrelevant it was. In a way, this morning was as much an analysis of the Cadet as it was of the dog, although the Tsurinai had admittedly far less to lose were she to disappoint. Regardless, things seemed to be going rather well so far, and she had already proven herself far more interesting company than Inugami.

So that was her choice then? Azami knew only a little about tea types for understandable reasons, but the scent she picked up on with her heightened sense of smell would somewhat compensate for that. It was a simple kind of tea from what she could personally gather, but there was nothing wrong with simplicity, and it certainly seemed preferable to pouring entire cups full of cream or sugar down one's throat. As for the way she drank it, it wasn't particularly surprising, though again that didn't necessarily speak poorly of her. All it said was that she knew how to carry and conduct herself like any decent Tsurinai.

The offer she made was definitely appealing and Azami would nod calmly in agreement to the terms. Her master was certainly being very generous. Perhaps it was a way to keep her servants loyal? Whether it was that, a charitable heart, or some mixture of both though, she didn't particularly care at the moment. If anything this was just sweetening the deal; she had already been given her duties, so everything that Shiina wished to offer to her as compensation was a much-welcomed gift, and each one was to be appreciated. That would include the treat that Shiina requested the maids give her which would serve as the cherry on top to a surprisingly enjoyable first day. While she still very much had her reservations about the city as a whole and couldn't help but miss Japan a little, she could at least be certain that the manor was a pleasant place and that there had to be much worse places to end up guarding. In that sense, she could consider herself lucky: perhaps this new environment had something to offer to her after all.

Nuzzling the hand slightly and allowing Shiina to pet her once again, Azami would think more on her circumstances as she awaited the continuation of breakfast (and presumably its completion soon enough).

Azami of the Aeon Arcana and Shiina of the Magus have established a Social Link!