The Start of a New Era [Yuki/Teagan?]

[Aiden]

The trip back home had been a speedy one, Aiden having wasted little time getting back across the country, back to his beloved west coast. Portland was his home, he and Malcolm spent much time there when they weren't chasing something bigger and badder, not to mention he had permanent stay at the tavern. With his two new recruits in the car with him, he had suddenly taken on much more responsibility just in meeting them; he was a 'faction leader' now, he was told to start finding new Hunters and training them, and to get rid of the evil that now went unsupervised in the absence of the Winchesters. It was a daunting task, Aiden barely a legal adult himself, but he knew he had to do it.

Finally pulling into the gravel that crunched beneath his tires, the sound made Aiden smile to himself as they looked up at the tavern. It was right around sunset, so it wasn't all lit up yet, and it was empty, much to Aiden's relief. He needed to explain to the owner about a number of new people that would be showing up thanks to this new bit of information, but first he needed to get properly acquainted with his new faction mates, his followers. The thought was strange, but as he got out of the car and stretched, he beckoned the others to follow him inside. The wooden floors creaked beneath his weight, just like he knew it would. Home sweet home, he could never get enough of it.

Leading Yuki through a door towards the back, he sat down on a couch that was tucked away in a room only available for the staff and for those that lived there--night to night guests weren't allowed. Of course, Yuki would be, and when he sat down, he motioned for her to do the same. "Let me see that knife of yours," Aiden said, with interest. Why her mother would leave her a knife, of all things, was slightly lost to him, unless there was something special about it. "I want to check and see if there is anything supernatural about it. I can't promise there will be, but checking would always be good. Knives don't run out of ammo," Aiden said logically, waiting for her to pull it out.

[Yuki]

Yuki walked through the front doors of The Crossroad's Tavern, her boots clicking against the wooden floors beneath her. Just as The Wesson had been practically empty when she first entered it, The Crossroad's Tavern seemed completely abandoned. Were all locations where hunters gathered normally this empty? A faint smell of alcohol drifted through the air, which led her to believe that it had been occupied within a day or so. Aiden led her to a door towards the back of the room, and with folded arms, Yuki silently walked in.

The room seemed like a sort of lounge where only staff were allowed. Seeing as there had been few other doors in the previous room, she assumed that the tavern was not a place where guests could remain overnight. Aiden strolled over to a couch and motioned for her to take a seat. "I am quite comfortable standing up," Yuki responded frigidly, remaining next to the door with one foot against the wall. When he requested for her to let him see the knife to check for any "supernatural" signs, she didn't move. She had no intention of giving it to him so simply without due explanation.

"My mother gave this knife to me so that it would remain in my possession. If you wish to examine it, you are going to have to tell me what sort of supernatural happening you believe can surround this object, if one does indeed exist at all. You cannot expect me to hand over a weapon, much less a potentially cursed or enchanted one, to a complete stranger," she said with a cold stare.

[Aiden]

If the tavern was abandoned looking, it was only because the timing of the day. It was usually found to at least be sparsely occupied, if not full of the town regulars, and the Hunters that drifted across the country. Not to mention that now it would also be filling up with "new regulars," people Aiden would know to be the faction that would reside in Portland, and take care of the evil beings that went bump in the night. He gave a short wave to the current bartender, her shift having only just begun for the night, and lead Yuki through the door into the back. The creaks, the wood, the people, everything about this place Aiden loved. He held many fond memories there, and he didn't plan on leaving it or letting anything happen to The Crossroad's Tavern in the near future.

Aiden let out hot air as she refused his request for her to sit next to him, but the more he thought about it, the more she was like him; cool, collected, and independent. Those three things seemed to bother Jefferson most, probably due to the composure that he was able to keep in the face of strangers, danger, and death at his age. Still, Yuki didn't look like she wanted to make things any easier on him, even though it had been her that choose to move to Portland to hunt ghosts, ghouls, and whatever else might show up. Turning where he sat, he placed on arm on the back of the couch, and looked into Yuki's eyes. "Look, if we're going to make a faction, or whatever its going to become, we need to work together, which means you need to trust me." It was as simple as that. They would work much better as a whole, and as each individual member.

He couldn't help but crack a smile; he liked Yuki, she was smart already, and she was thinking on her toes, something that would keep her alive. Standing up, Aiden took a few steps forward, though not nearly closing the distance that Yuki had put between them. "By supernatural, I mean I've heard talks of knives that can kill anything demon, or any being for that matter. I wouldn't take your heirloom, or possession, or whatever you want to take it as away from you, but the more we know about it, the easier it will make training you." He explained, not moving from his spot. "You don't need to be apprehensive around me; I know what I'm doing, I've been in this business since I was a kid, and I know the feeling of wanting to keep a treasure when you have one," he finished, knowing how much he would kill in order to get Malcolm's handgun back if it were ever stolen.

[Yuki]

Yuki stared into Aiden's eyes. Why was he smiling? There was nothing funny about the situation as far as she could tell. A part of her felt like stomping his foot with the heel of her boot so he could wipe that stupid smirk off his face, but she thought better of it. "Fine," she replied, after failing to detect any signs of hesitation or deception within him. What he said was true about having to work together. If she could've, she would have figured out this conundrum on her own. However, her years of higher institutional education failed to provide her information when it concerned fighting the supernatural. Aiden was one of her only available sources of knowledge, and the longer she waited in uncovering the mystery behind the knife her mother had given her, the more that innocent lives could be put in danger.

She felt a little guilty about being so harsh towards her new teammate. Even though she sensed Aiden was good person, it never hurt too be too cautious. She was playing in a different field now, and she wasn't sure which side was right and which side was wrong. This meant her typical judgements of people could be wrong as well. If he tried anything, she had already picked up on a few things about hunting the supernatural which she could use against him. The additional ten years spent learning karate back at home wouldn't hurt either.

Keeping her place against the wall, Yuki reached into her purse and searched around for the knife. After moving aside several containers of makeup, perfume and lotion, she finally felt the smooth texture of cloth. Pulling out the carefully wrapped package, she cradled it gently in her hands and held it out for him to see. "I'm only letting you examine the knife because we have to work together, but don't think that just because we're on the same side that it earns you automatic trust. If you are as experienced as you say you are, you should know that better than most people," she said, still not letting go of his gaze, analyzing every move and facial expression he made.

[Aiden]

If Yuki was already mistrusting of Aiden, and wary of newcomers, then she would probably be a successful Hunter. Yes, it wasn't necessarily good for the team per say, but as she warmed up and changed (if she would) she could still maintain that skill when out in the field, during a hunt, or even with faction mates that weren't exactly righteous. You couldn't give your trust to someone right away, because they could use it against you, twist you into an undesirable position, when the Hunter needed to be in control. Aiden took a few steps towards her again when she told him that she would allow it, which made him relax internally; maybe she was seeing that he wasn't all bad. Not to mention he needed the practice identifying supernatural objects.

Yuki was absolutely correct in her thinking, hunting was a tricky field to play in, and the sides were ever more complicated. Some people worked for demons, others worked to rid the world of evil, while there were still more who only wanted to hunt for their gain, for control. Aiden, however, was taught to rid the world of evil, to prevent harm and death among the natural world and its inhabitants. His side, at least to him, was the most correct in its ventures, and now their side would be growing.

Aiden reached out, looking at the knife, moving it this way and that under the light, running his finger down the blade, trying to feel for any sort of engraving. "I do realize this, and thats what makes you a great hunter already. I encourage you not to let me take your life into my hands, at least not right now. I would do the same were I in your position." He slid his fingers under the handle of the knife, glancing up at her for permission, before lifting it and inspecting the hilt. No trap doors, no markings, his only guess at the moment that there were either traces, if not the whole blade, of iron or silver, or both, in the blade. "Well, I guess we won't know until you fight with it," he said blankly, returning it carefully into her hands, though not without injury himself. Upon sliding his fingers away, one caught the sharp side of the blade.

"Son of a..." he hissed, drawing his finger back, and wrapping his free hand around it. "Don't have to worry about sharpening it," he said shortly, walking over to a cupboard to retrieve a first aid kit.

[Teagan]

The past month of Teagan's life dwindled down to two things: a dreary drive from point A to point B, and imprisonment at point B, where she would "learn something useful in life". But the moment she ditched the bus and waved goodbye to Science camp, freedom's promise of an exciting summer put a bounce in her step and a grin on her face. Finally, a real adventure lay within the grasp of her hands. Regardless of whatever mustered hope filled her then, Teagan managed to find her self silently slumbering in the backseat Aiden's camero on another road trip to another "camp" of sorts. Maybe there would at least be adventure, not that this odd start was in any way reassuring. For a majority of the drive, Yuki didn't seem in the mood for conversation, so Teagan and Aiden both upheld the silence. His part, by focusing on the road, and, her part, drifting off (a practice she had mastered thanks to previous bus rides).

A warm ray of light drifted over her face, and Teagan wondered when the car had stopped moving. Sitting up, she glanced around her surroundings. Great. Aiden and Yuki didn't even bother to wake her up before leaving. Her eyebrows bunched as she noticed the wadded pieces of papers scattered around her. Or, maybe they did. Fair enough. She shook of the loose scraps, then pulled her backpack with her out of the car.

The crunch of the ground under her Converse put a smile on Teagan's face. She paused for a moment, and took in the sweet smell of nature. Perhaps she being slightly pessimistic. Sure, the people around seemed to believe in mythical beings and fairy tales, but it beat studying the quadratic equation or Newton's law by a long shot. Teagan didn't promise to actually buy in to their mindsets, but learning to "hunt", as they called it, deserved a chance.

With that in mind, Teagan entered the tavern and found Aiden bandaging a small cut while Yuki passively watched from behind. "Five minutes and someone's already hurt?" Teagan gave a teasing grin as she set her backpack in the corner. "Maybe this won't be as boring as I thought."

[Yuki]

Yuki reflexively tensed as Aiden neared her in order to take a look at the knife. Her senses on high alert, she cautiously watched as he picked it up and began his examination. "If you're worried about letting me place my life in your hands, your concern is wasted. I won't be making such a hazardous maneuver any time soon," she replied bluntly when he expressed that trusting him with her life would be unwise. He didn't need to tell her that for her to assume so.

Aiden continued to scan the blade, but seemed to find nothing. When he moved on to the hilt, he glanced at her with a look that showed he was making sure that it was alright with her. Clearly, she had gotten her point across that she didn't think fondly of him at the time being, and she was content with his knowledge of this. Nodding silently, he continued his inspection. After blinking a couple times, Aiden returned the possession to her hands and told her she would have to fight with it in order to solve its mystery. Upon placing the knife in her grasp, she noticed one of his fingers was placed in a location where if he pulled away, the blade would give him a cut. Sure enough, by the time he retracted his hand, he was cursing under his breath. At least it was sharp. Aiden began walking towards the cupboard and he made a similar comment. While Yuki concluded that the way he had received the cut was stupid of him, on the plus side, they had both arrived at the same conclusion, which seemed to redeem him a little of his careless move.

Just then, she heard footsteps entering the tavern. By the quick and light pace of them, as well as the sound of a small stumble, it was unnecessary for Yuki to look for her to know that Teagan had finally woken up. Keeping her gaze fixed on Aiden, Yuki heard as the girl strolled in. With a witty remark about Aiden's injury, Yuki saw from the corner of her eye as she set her backpack down. Teagan appeared to be a typical teenager--naive, annoying and reckless. She had never much liked her classmates back at the high school portion of Okinawa International. Their interests concerned menial happenings, and she was put off by their pretentious nature. She had serious doubts that this girl was any different. It was already irritating that she was taking the situation so lightly. In fact, she was viewing it as a more exciting alternative to summer camp. Unlike Aiden, where Yuki was cautious of him being a possible threat to her, she was concerned of Teagan endangering herself as well as the entire team. While the girl seemed to possess the capability of remaining level headed, she was most certainly not fit for battle, and if she screwed up anything even once, Yuki would not hesitate to relay these thoughts to her and send her packing.

Teagan and Yuki watched as Aiden was still busy tending to his cut. "Your skills in first aid are questionable," Yuki pointed out. "Do you not apply plum bark or turmeric powder before placing the bandage upon the wound?"

[Aiden]

Leaving Teagan in the car wasn't as bad, or as dangerous, as it might have seemed; that car was demon-proof by almost all means. There were all sorts of Devil's Traps on the inside of the panels, preventing demons from entering the interior, or the trunk. Not only that, but the drive from Keystone all the way back to the west coast was exhausting, and the tavern, while it did have beds, wasn't all that exciting, and the moment it wasn't lively either. So Aiden left Teagan to snooze; he had more important things to worry about, such as the knife, attending to his own weapons, scanning the newspapers from the dates he'd been gone for any signs of anything, preparing with the owner of the tavern for the new arrivals...this whole Winchester disappearing act was a mess.

Aiden was sort of content with Yuki's apprehensiveness at the moment, it gave one less lesson to give her. Teagan on the other hand, she was going to need a lot of reinforcement in not trusting people--just by her demeanor, Aiden could tell that she was a happy-go-lucky sort of person that took everything in stride and trusted everyone, or so thats how she came off. Both would need weapons training, education on monsters...Casey owed him, owed him a whole lot for taking this on. "Excuse me for trying to give you a tip on trust issues," he muttered to himself, focusing his attention on the knife. When his deliberation was made, Teagan entered, and the cut was made.

Turning around while he was still wrapping his finger, he shook his head. "And that, my friends, is your first lesson with knives; don't be stupid." He paused at Yuki's comment...was she serious? "Uh...you rinse, dry, and bandage?" He said, unsurely. "I've never even heard of turmeric powder, so, no, I don't. Anyway, while you're both here and attentive, there are bedrooms upstairs, you are to take the first two, they're right across from each other. Who gets which bedroom, I don't care. Secondly, I need to find out what kind of experience you guys have, exactly. Any weapons or combat training, at all?"

[Yuki]

Of course Aiden wouldn't know about turmeric powder. She doubted that many people in the United States were familiar with the study of kampo. Back home, Yuki had been acquainted with herbs and their uses at a very young age, especially since Okinawa was more primitive than the rest of Japan. Additionally, as a priestess at their family's temple, familiarity with herbs was a necessity, as it was her responsibility to aid wary travelers or ailing villagers. She had found most of the temple's teachings off-putting and was hesitant to learn them, but she didn't doubt for a second the medicinal advantages that the earth harbored, having witnessed them firsthand. Before responding to Aiden's question, Yuki felt the need to clarify the importance of the knowledge of such herbs.

"Turmeric powder and plum bark serve as an antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises--a form of soap, if you will. If either is sprinkled onto the skin, they have the ability to heal the wound and prevent infection. They work much better than the application of a bandage," Yuki explained, nodding towards Aiden's injured hand. "The people of this country resort to technological advances before looking to what nature already offers," she continued, addressing both Aiden and Teagan. "Where I come from, herbal medicine is used more than any other form of medicine, and from my experience, is more effective than any other form I have seen, as it contains the least side effects and is the most natural and pure."

"Along that same tangent and in response to your question," she said, turning to Aiden, "it is also common for the people of Japan to be taught a form of martial arts. I have studied karate for ten years. but that is the limit of my combat training. I am somewhat familiar with a katana, but since I have only used one during my family's temple rituals, I do not know how to use the sword offensively."

Yuki almost didn't respond to either one of his questions. She was apprehensive of providing Aiden with information about her, especially when it could hint at a weakness. Additionally, she was almost positive that her responses would serve of very little purpose in a battle against the supernatural anyway. What use would a sword be against spiritual beings? But instead, she saw his question as an opportunity to demonstrate that despite her appearance, she was very well capable of posing a threat against someone--or something--attacking them. She did not want to be treated or viewed as a person who was completely incompetent.

She turned her head towards Teagan and locked eyes with her, awaiting a response, although Yuki knew it wouldn't be a long one.

[Teagan]

Teagan listened with genuine interest as Yuki described the uses of turmeric powder. She herself understood the benefits of uncovering nature's gifts. During the two summer camps she attended, not one night passed without campers screaming of welts or panicking after discovering intense rashes. Although she commonly snuck poison ivy into pillowcases and sleeping bags, nothing compared to the damage a well mixed concoction of illegal and banned chemicals. Most of which where laying in a secret compartment in her backpack. Still though, Yuki knew an impressive amount of stuff. As she wrapped up her description on tumeric powder and moved onto the next question, a wave of respect for her companion washed over Teagan. I bet I could learn a thing or two from her...

Suddely, Yuki's eyes coldly met hers. Ouch. Maybe she would give it time before asking about any Japanese techniques. At least until the icestorm Yuki brewed faded away. Trying to ignore the girl, Teagan turned to Aiden. "If pranks count as weapons, I can drive any person insane within hours. I can set traps, sabatoge next to anything, and pull stunts like there's no tomorrow." It took six years to refine her skills, but every shocked face was worth its weight in gold. She allowed herself a tiny grin of pride. "I'm getting better too. At Business camp, I almost caused an evacuation." Almost...except for some reason, the driver couldn't start the buses. What a shame. Later on, the counselors discovered the wiring had been tampered with. "Otherwise, I had class once in karate..." She squinted, trying to remember how long ago her mother reluctantly bought her the 'pajama outfit' her new obsession required.

"Eight years ago." Yeah, promising little thing, wasn't she?

[Aiden]

Being raised on the move, and always headed for the next thing, Aiden had grown up on bandages and if needed a little pain killer, not much else. He was told that it would be the usual to get hurt, and that he needed to get used to it so he could run with it, not let the injury hinder him in a fight--although a small cut on his finger wouldn't hinder him much this time around. Malcolm was a man full of insight, knowledge, and experience, and the more Aiden thought about it, the more he wondered just how much better he could pull it off, teaching others, multiple people at once, about the supernatural world, and succeeding. It seemed like a fat chance to him now, but only time would tell.

Glancing over at Yuki once he made sure that the wrapping was secured (for this wasn't your garden variety Barbie or Hot Wheels Band-Aid, this was the real stuff that came on a roll), he gave her one look that he acknowledged her insight, before stating what was on his mind. "Well, unless there was some fine substance on that knife, or it was recently dipped in something, I think I'll be fine. Just a knick on the finger is all. Thanks though, I'll try that out in the future," he said in earnest. Hey, if there was a way to help the healing process speed up, he'd be all over it. Fighting injured only brought a person down, increased the chance of further and more extensive injury or death, and that was to be avoided at all costs.

Yuki seemed to be a bucket full of many skills and talents, so there was only one aspect she needed for the most part, whereas Teagan was as he expected, though if she could remember some of those karate skills, it'd help. Then again, the beginner stuff was just defense, and not attack...Giving both his full attention, he straightened up. "Ok, karate is good, although I might need to train you a bit more in hand-to-hand, Teagan. You'll both also need gun training--and before you protest the use of guns, if you were, I need you to know that its absolutely necessary, its the most effective and defensive way to kill something. Demons aren't killed by guns, they have to be exorcised, and thats where combat comes in, usually." He sat back down on the couch, trying to figure out what to do next. It wasn't everyday he'd trained someone to do this sort of thing. "So, uh...any questions, comments, concerns?"

[Teagan]

And thus they entered the conversation she wrote off as crap.

Of course demons couldn't be killed with guns, Teagan mentally rolled her eyes. They didn't exist. But apparently, an...what was the word? Exorcism....an exorcism did the trick. Everyone knew that. Who didn't? Oh-and she needed to learn how to handle a gun. She was only eighteen, and for crying aloud, she was sure the legal age to handle one fell at least around twenty-one. Combat, Aiden argued. Right, because that suddenly justified the whole matter.

"No questions for me," she replied, cheerful mood slowly fading. Now to let the nut bags converse among each other. No need to ruin their fun. "If you don't mind, I'm going to head upstairs and unpack. Long day, you know?" Before either companion could respond, she swept up her pack and bolted up the creaky stairs. Aiden had mentioned the first two rooms being available for their use, so Teagan briefly glanced into both of them. Although the first one seemed bigger, the second room had a sturdy tree within jumping distance of the window. Perfect for any quick escapes.

Teagan threw her backpack on the bunk in the corner of the room and proceeded sort through her belongings. Her journal, a gift of sorts from Deacon, came out first. Ha. Good times. Great memories. Honestly, she couldn't wait to get back to see him, though she knew it would be months at least before that became a reality. Oh well. She'd get over it.

A gleam from the windowsill caught Teagan's eye. Curiously, she peered at the substance aligning the edge of the glass.

...salt?

This had to be a joke. What person in their right mind...?

Teagan sighed. Aiden must be a very paranoid person. Almost more than Yuki, even if he kept it under better wraps. A thought occurred to her. She could use this. Oh, and the things I could do. What better challenge than to test herself against than those who suspected anything at any time? Deacon had caught on, but that was only because they were two of a kind. He understood her.

That was it. Teagan's mind was settled. She grabbed the journal from her bed and excitedly flipped the pages to the latest entries before grabbing numerous items from her pack.

Game on.

[Yuki]

The girl truly was a child. Pranks as her method of combat suited the impression she gave off, and that was not to be taken as a compliment. She noticed that as soon as Aiden began talking seriously of their training, Teagan mentally toned out. She stared blankly at him with the same disinterest that Yuki had displayed when her mother was instructing the temple's teachings, except in a much less adept manner of concealment. The girl hardly tried to hide her disinterest and seemed impatient for him to finish.

Yuki, on the other hand, listened intently to Aiden's words, taking in the seriousness of the matter. It appeared that the next skill to add on her list would be gun training. That would be interesting. Although guns were a foreign object to her, she was sure it would not be so different than using a sword or administering a physical blow--just aim and strike. She was prepared and eager to learn the new ability, even if it was a strange one. If her mother had fought against the supernatural with guns, Yuki would do so in the same manner.

As soon as Aiden asked if there were any questions, Teagan hurriedly scampered up the stairs. Dismissing the girl's annoying attitude, Yuki remained to talk to Aiden. She did indeed have questions. Yuki was not the type to enjoy swimming in the dark in shark infested waters.

"I have several inquiries for you. First, when do we start this training? Second, about this...hunting. Is there a book where one can read about what is to be hunted? I would like to acquaint myself with the beings we are going to kill before we do so. Third, I heard you mention demons. Judging from the connotation of the word, I am assuming that they are or are a variation of a devil. Are you suggesting the existence of Hell?" Yuki shot her questions at him with little pause. There was much she didn't know, and she was impatient to have answers.

[Aiden]

No sooner had Aiden ended his small speech, Teagan was bounding away up the stairs. Watching her, he could tell by her facial expression that...did she not care about this stuff? It was essential to her survival, and if she wasn't going to contribute, to learn, and help fend off the evil while the Winchester brothers were gone, then Aiden wouldn't hesitate to call up that summer camp and tell them where Teagan disappeared to. This was serious, though no one ever believed Hunters when they tried to explain this stuff. He would just have to show Teagan first hand, and he knew just how to do so. A simple conjuring incantation with a nearby Devil's Trap should do the trick, or maybe even show her a Crossroad's Demon outside. It irritated him that she didn't actually think this was important.

Yuki, on the other hand, was growing on Aiden more and more by the minute. Not only was she listening in earnest, but she'd already proved herself to be reliable in combat, she knew first aid, albeit first aid that Aiden didn't know about, and she was already outfitted with a weapon of her own. He traced the strip of gauze that lined his finger absentmindedly while he thought of what to do next before Yuki spoke--her 'inquiries' made him even more relieved. He could trust Yuki, Teagan he could not. He sat back down--hadn't he already done that?-- and glanced over at the girl who dwarfed him by two years.

Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, he blinked a few times before starting his answers. "We can start the gun training tomorrow, when everyone is rested and not experiencing car fatigue. Don't get too ahead of yourself, either, because I already planned on throwing books of information at you two, probably tomorrow or the next day as well. And yes, Hell does exist, its where demons and other beings exist when they aren't possesing someone, and its where their supposed God, Lucifer, exists as well. Before you ask about Heaven, I don't know if that one really exists or not, nor has anyone ever met an angel, or at least met one and spoke about it."

[Yuki]

"I see," she said, staring blankly ahead of her for a brief moment. Feeling the need to review the day's information by herself, Yuki decided that what she had learned within the last 24 hours would suffice and that it was time to make her way upstairs. She would have plenty of time for the remainder of her questions tomorrow during gun training. "I suppose that will do for today," she said, and began making her way up the stairs.

When she arrived at the top, she examined the corridor. Five rooms in total, two on each side, and then a rather worn looking one at the very end. Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as she could observe. The door of every room was open, except for the one to her right and the one at the end of the hallway. Yuki assumed that Teagan had chosen the room to the right, and that Aiden's was the remaining closed one. Which left her with the room to the left. Although she would have liked to inspect both rooms first, she settled for the accomodation she had to reside in.

Inside, the room seemed normal enough. A bed, a nighstand, a small window with curtains and a small table. The floors were creaky and the air smelled musty, but it was decent. Setting her purse down, she went over to the window. Upon brushing the curtain aside, she noticed salt lined across the windowsill. Careful not to remove any, she let the curtain fall back to its place. She turned around and headed to the door to close it. Upon glancing up, she noticed a water bucket perched above her door.

Was this someone's idea of a joke? After several years of having her so-called peers attempt to prank her, she was always cautious when moving a door that belonged to a room, especially ones that were previously vacant or obviously hers. Most people had something against Yuki, even though they had never talked to her. They were always trying to find ways to humiliate her. That was before she started fighting back, however. Even Yuki had her limits.

Nimbly removing the bucket from its position, she placed it on the floor. Her senses on high alert again, she walked around the room. Again, nothing seemed out of place. Satisfied with her third inspection, she finally set her head on the pillow of the bed and began her attempt to sleep.