"When Jupiter was assigning the various gods their privileges, it so happened that Grief was not present with the rest: but when all had received their share, he too entered and claimed his due. Jupiter was at a loss to know what to do, for there was nothing left for him. However, at last he decided that to him should belong the tears that are shed for the dead. Thus it is the same with Grief as it is with the other gods. The more devoutly men render to him his due, the more lavish is he of that which he has to bestow. It is not well, therefore, to mourn long for the departed; else Grief, whose sole pleasure is in such mourning, will be quick to send fresh cause for tears."

-Jupiter And His Due

Up. He keeps his eyes on the image above and tilts his head side to side trying to get a look from all the angles he could manage. "Its a crow." The saluki boy states to himself. He crosses his arms across his chest and smiles up at the mural above. "Its master I bet." and his ears perk up at the sound of the large black doors across the supposedly red room opening.

He quickly stands at attention. Looking down at his black uniform he tries to assess whether or not all the buttons on his uniform are buttoned proper, if hes got his boots laced properly and if he as a living being is presentable enough for the person entering. After his half second inspection his furry Beige tail begins to wag and he has to use every ounce of will power to stay stood in his place.

The man entering the room is quite dainty in appearance, not especially tall, a face that the uniformed boy has mistaken plenty of times for a womans, a black yukata printed with white lilies and a long haori that trails across checker tiled floors, long coal black hair that cascades down and hangs in his eyes or around snow pale skin. These are all statuesque features the young man thinks, but his masters most noteable feature were the massive black wings on his back, black as a starless sky. They enter a room long after he does and as the young man has heard many times before it irks the winged man endlessly. They are three times his masters size and when spread are by far the most breathtaking limbs he can say hes ever seen.

"Taichi, I've been looking for you," his voice is painful to listen too, hoarse like he has a sore throat. He clears his throat and tries again. "My apologies," he begins and returns to his point.

"I've been looking for you." He repeats once more, his voice just a bit clearer. Taichi believes perhaps under his scratchy voice is one far more radiant and pleasant to the ears.

The boys first impulse is to tell him he already said that but he bites his tongue. That would get him punished for being so rude. He didn't enjoy the newspaper. Instead he clasps white gloved hands together and bows. "What can I do for you sir?" His tail wags even harder than it was before, he tries not to smile as he doesn't want to appear unprofessional in front of the crow before him but his emotions get the best of him and a tiny grin of anticipation creeps onto his face.

"Please relax, I'm not here to give you any instructions dear. I was just curious where you had ran off to since I have not seen you all day. How are you Taichi?" he reaches over and scratches behind the boys ears with talons just sharp enough to get a contented sigh from Taichi, who took great pleasure in any affection he got from his master.

"You're fine right? No injuries or any thoughts you need to share? I really do worry about you." He pets the boys curly hair before putting his hand back down by his side.

"I've never been better master Dai!" And he salutes proudly. "I'm more than ok even I'm..." He thinks for a moment, something witty, he wants to say something witty and impress this crow. "...I'm Ok. With two K's. KK!" He laughs at himself but stops when Dai does not join in. "Or uh... you know... normal. Heh." He tugs at his collar and feels heat rise to his cheeks and he can only imagine just how sick he must look right now.

Dai tilts his head and raises a brow. "You only spell ok with one K." He informs. "I don't ge- oh." and then it makes sense to him. The look of sudden realization hits him like a brick and he chuckles at the joke.

"You are so strange Taichi, never change. The world needs funny people like yourself." and he steps closer to Taichi who backs away in return.

"Taichi?" Dai gapes at him and steps closer again.

"My apologies master, force of habit." He hangs his head in shame while Dai fiddles around with the gold buttons on his dogs shirt and looks him up and down carefully trying to spot out any mistakes in Taichi's uniform.

"Black books, grey pants, black jacket, your armband," He points out. "All good but please work on buttoning the buttons properly. You look silly."

Taichi looks away and his face burns even hotter than before. This was shameful. He had messed up something so important. "For shame." He thinks and apologizes once again to the crow.

"With the help of president Dai Akiyama we can build a utopia. Food will never be scarce, the people will live in happiness, and hunting will be a thing of the past. This is our vision for the future citizens of Aesic City, with your support we can make this dream a reality. Help us fund this ten year plan by-"

"Turn this bullshit off Shin! I wanna hear some rock and fuckin' roll in this shit." The man reaches over for the dial on the radio and changes the channel to a station playing metal and rock.

"Kurou, I cant think with your shit playing on the radio, you want me to crash this truck into a building?" Shin chided and turned on to a street that seemed especially destitute in appearance. The houses seemed to be falling apart, wood splitting and boards missing so you could see right into some. Dirty children running around and playing with old dirtier looking toys, a few older teens playing basketball with a milk crate with the bottom cut out and hung onto a light pole. The yards that should be covered in grass consisting of nothing but dirt and small patches of weeds flourishing between cracks in concrete that must have been put down in a feeble attempt to improve the place. Trash and plastic was strewn all across the place, it was a literal dump.

"Ew no I change my mind lets not collect anyone here today." Kurou declared and sunk into his seat.

"We have a job to do." Shin sighs and opens his door to step out.

When he gets to the ground people begin to quickly leave and children are called inside by worried parents.

Shin stands, a man far too tall for his own good and too strict for Kurou's good. He wears a white button up shirt with a large red G on his left sleeve. He wears a pair of black pants with a belt looped tightly around his waist and his shirt tucked in neatly. "Lets get this over with." He mumbles and flips long black hair out of his face and walks off. There's a black fin on his back with a blackfish tail to complete the standard orca look behind him. He walks almost nervously to a brick house with a shoddy screen door separating the outside from the in.

Kurou hops out of his side of their truck and runs to catch up with his partner. "Don't start the party without me, yeah?" he calls and slows when he's at Shin's side. His hair is short and combed back but still looks quite messy and wind blown. He stand nowhere near as tall as Shin but walks with the confidence of a king to the little house before them. He wears a uniform similar to his partners and even shares the same fin and blackfish tail. The only difference being that he wears his uniform sloppily. His shirt half tucked, the knees of his pants seemingly worn and close to tearing, red stains that seemed to have been washed a few times but never left completely, on his white shirt and black sneakers rather than proper leather shoes that seemed smeared at the bottom with dirt. Both of them have sharp pointed teeth in their mouths and pale colored eyes, Shin's being blue and Kurou's grey.

Shin presses the doorbell and the two of them wait for a moment in silence.

"No answer." Shin observes.

Kurou nods and knocks on the screen door. "Hey! Open up!"

"Kurou stop being annoying." Shin scolds and Kurou snorts. "No."

He knocks harder and the door falls from its place.

"Kurou."

"My bad babe." And he steps away from the door.

"What the hell have you done to our door?" A man with a massive green Mohawk squawks from his car window as he pulls up and steps out of his sketchy little red car. Extending even grander green and yellow wings he flies over to them.

"Do you know how much its going to cost me to fix that?" he growls and Kurou laughs. "Not much man, is your name Taka Kita?"

The man lands and steps back, a look of horror crosses his face and he shakes his head. "This is a joke right? You're not serious right?"

Shin shakes his head and steps towards the man, his eyes narrow and he prepares to jump on the man of he tries to get away.

"You've been selected for a meeting with Grief. If you could come peacefully and-" The man stretches his wings ready to take flight and Shin jumps on him quickly, knocking him to the ground.

"Kurou!" he shouts and Kurou jumps on him as well and sinks his teeth into the mans wings over and over making sure to break whatever he can to keep the guy flightless. He squeals and squawks hoping someone would hear him and much to his pleasure a woman rushes out the door.

"Taka!" she shouts and flies over at Shin who simply lets go of the man under him and smacks her away. She lands in a leafless bush and grunts in pain.

"H-Hey be gentle with her, that's my girlfriend!" Taka shouts as Kurou drags him away to their truck, a white truck that was previously a moving truck that had a large G spray painted over the original PackAndGo logo.

They toss the parrot man into the back and slam the door shut on him.

"I'll be in the truck, you can deal with the lady, yeah?" Kurou ask climbing back into the passengers side being sure not to slam his tail in the door.

Shin nods and approaches the girl, he pulls her out of the bushes. "You're allowed three days of grief." He informs her flatly and bows. She glares at him for a long moment and then at the truck and back to him. She slaps him across the face and screams. "Get away from my house!" She squeals loudly and flies back into the door to her house and slams it behind her.

"Fuck." he hisses and reaches up to find blood dripping from scratches across his cheek.

"Oh shit man she got you real good." Kurou shouts from the window and sticks his head out. "Not saying you have to, but no one here's stopping you from going in there and killing that chick." Kurou informs him with a wink. Shin looks at him and shakes his head, he walks back to the truck almost tripping over a bit of the sidewalk that was raised slightly and climbs back into their ride.

"I already did my job. It would be pointless to bother her any further." And he turns on the radio. He jumps at the sudden loud rock music and quickly changes it to a different station getting a loud childish whine from Kurou.

"Aghh! No, that was my shit!"

Shin shakes his head. "I'm. Driving. This. Truck. So sit down and listen to what I play! Unless you want to drive?"

"I can't drive though." Kurou groans.

"Exactly." Shin answers and turns the volume down low and a familiar voice plays.

"Remember citizens, its your duty to the city to make sure you follow the Grief rules set by our esteemed President. Mourning should continue only as long as you're allowed to do so. If it becomes clear that you are still suffering we will provide you with extended time for healing. We would like to build a happier, healthier society."

Kurou snorts and sits back in his chair. He crosses his legs and puts his arms leisurely behind his head.

"Healing my ass. I know what they're really doing." Kurou brags and Shin ignores him keeping his eyes focused on the road.

"They only give you more time by taking more people important to you. Happened to a friend of mine last week. Lost his girl and kept crying about it way past his time limit so they offed his ma. Cruel shit."

Shin turns a corner and is back on the mainroad. "That's unfortunate, but that's what happens when you break the rules. I think there was a saying or something. It goes, "It is not ok, then, to mourn the dead too long; or Grief, whose only pleasure is such mourning, will be quick to send fresh cause for tears." Or something like that I'm not too sure."

Kurou laughs pleased by his partner's keen memory. "That actually sounded about right. You're good with this memory shit."

Shin grins and grips the black steering wheel in his hand tight. "Its my job."

"Hey old man!" A girl stands at the white door of a large brick building that seemed to go up quite far. The surrounding city was bathed in evening light, the sun was setting and made the street the building sat on with many just like it lined up in a row with their freshly cut lawns glow orange.

She sighs and looks around at the cozy little street behind her. Trees that offered perfect shade from the heat were just a step away but she knew she didn't have the time. An old couple of lizards on the porch of a white house across the street were watching her curiously and she tries to shrug it off. She looks to the windows on the building above her hoping the old man she was looking for would stick his head out.

"Oh Lavi, please you have to open the door." She thinks out loud and turns to knock on the door again.

She was not a tall girl, she could almost be mistaken for a child if it were not for her being so shapely. She had short, awkwardly cut brown hair with white tips and large brown eyes that were currently flooded with worry as she knocked as hard as she could on the door. She wore a black sleeveless crop top turtleneck and a long white skirt that stopped just above her ankles with a hole in the back for a long thin mouse tail.

"Lavi? Are you up there?" She shouts at the windows above in a feeble attempt to get her old friends attention. "Laaaavvvi! Its me! Blank! Come on, wont you please let me-"

She screams and slams herself against the door at the sudden hand on her shoulder.

Behind her stands a white haired tall man with a thoroughly puzzled look on his face.

"Blankfoot, you good? Calm down its just me." he raises a white brow and puts a hand on his side.

"Lupus no, you scared me! I was already spooked enough by those lizards over there." She scolds and tilts her head in the direction of the couple still gazing unnervingly intently at them.

Lupus whistles and shoves his hands in his coat pockets. "Dang, really spooky stuff those senior citizens," he laughs and Blankfoot punches his arm.

"Shut up, lizards are creepy people. Their eyes are so gross and beady looking and eugh!" She shudders and shakes her head fanning her face in disgust.

"And you!" She shouts poking his chest. "What's with this leather jacket its way too hot out here for that!" she complains.

"Blank, please cool it. I'm fine don't worry." he smiles and holds up his hands in defeat. He was a hazel skinned young man with a snazzy hair cut. White hair that hung in his face and both sides of his head shaved with a ponytail in the back.

He wore a black leather jacket with a red tee shirt underneath with the words "Little Red High School track team" and a picture of a runner just a step away from crossing the finish line before him. He had large furry ears on his head and a white wolf's tail poking out of his torn blue jeans.

He turns his attention from the little mouse to the front door of the brick house.

"He's still in there isn't he? That idiot. Doesn't he know he's going to get us killed at this rate?" He steps around Blankfoot and bangs the door with a heavy fist.

"Hey, old man get your ass down here! Lavi! Get down here you king of the jungle!" Lupus howls up at the windows and waves his hands trying to get attention.

"You know he cant see you right?" The mouse asks and reaches up to pet his back. "Lupus use your brain, I know yours is tiny and all but geez."

He sighs, drags his claws down the door and slams a fist against it. "Lavi get the fuck down here. You don't want to get us killed do you, right?" Lupus tries to climb but fails just trying to get up the door. He tries again. "Blankfoot give me a lift let me climb on your back." he requests putting his hands on her shoulders ready to push her down on her hands and knees.

"W-wait! You're huge don't stand on me you-" And she squeaks after realizing that she's already been forced down.

"Lupus, no!" She scurries out from under him and stands as far away from this wild maniac as she possibly can. She pressed her back against the tree in the yard and shook her head. "You psychotic psycho, you were gonna destroy me!"

"Oh come on Blankfoot, I was just trying to get into the-" And a loud honk coming from a spray painted moving truck pulling up cuts him off mid-sentence.

"Aw shit. Its the collectors." Lupus mumbles stepping away from the door.

"This guy better hurry and pay his bills. As the land lord I don't have all day." He lies loudly as two orca men step out of their truck.

"Hey you!" The first one shouts. Its Kurou walking towards Lupus intending to ask him something and Lupus can feel a bead of sweat roll down his forehead.

"Yes sir what can I do for you?" He almost purrs hoping to win the man's favor to save himself from what he can only assume is a threat to his life.

Kurou raises a brow and steps back and holds up his hands in surrender. "Woah friend keep it in your pants. I'm not here to bug anyone. I'm just checking up on the guy who lives here. Keep your self about ten miles away from me." He quickly steps around him and unlocks the door to the house with an oddly shaped key with black wings on the top.

"W-Wh-Fuck." As much as Lupus wanted to get in he didn't want to give away that he might know the old Lion living upstairs. The second Orca walks past him giving a quick nod of greeting and follows his partner inside leaving the wolf and Mouse outside. Blankfoot eyed the two men curiously and walked over to stand at Lupus' side on the porch.

"What do you guess they're doing to him?" She asks and Lupus cant bring himself to imagine that its anything good. He can see it so clearly, those two bloodthirsty fish faced assholes taunting the old man for going over his time limit. Making threats against another one of his friends and scolding him for his unshakable sorrow. Lupus growls and shouts up.

"Don't get anyone killed old man!"

He turns to the lady next to him and pets her head. "If he comes out, call me. I'm going home, see ya." And with a heavy sigh he left, talking the long walk down the sidewalk to the place he called home.

He walks, the street was dim and he walked between tall shady brick buildings. Dumpsters from stores that faced out towards the main street were lining the alley and Lupus took note of how busy this place was today. Children were running around playing on the rusty fire exits. People dealing questionably obtained goods and a few people going in and out of the surrounding buildings.

He sees a familiar girl waiting for him poking her head out of a door.

"Lupus you're back." She waves with wings that took the place of arms she could have had and a face that shows no sign of real excitement or joy. Her face is expressionless and her thick eyebrows do a good job in making her look perpetually pissed off.

"Yeah, yeah. Lemme in the house already. Lavi was an ass today and I'm thinking of just forgetting his ass. I don't need him and his mourning bullshit." He comes in and closes the door behind him, looking he finds himself in a restaurant kitchen. He made his way through, past a tall man standing over a grill, he had a long brown snake tail that took place of his legs and wore a green and white fast food servers uniform shirt. His hair was shaved on one side and dyed green with red streaks and his face was full of piercings. "Hey Lupus." He sighed and Lupus nods to him as a greeting. "Keep working kid, school doesn't pay for itself." The wolf chuckled and finally darted up a flight of stairs away from the kitchen.

When he got to the top, he was in his own sparse bedroom. Under the window on the far end of the room lie a bed with only a blanket and a few dusty pillows. A closet with so much clothes inside that they pooled out onto the floor across from the mostly bare mattress. A desk sat next to the entrance where Lupus could do whatever writing he may need to at any given moment, when he was actually there. Really it was just covered in cups from the store down stairs.

He walks over and tosses his thick jacket onto the mattress and a storm of dust rises when it lands.

"Been awhile, huh?" He turns around to see that familiar winged girl in the doorway.

"You don't ever stay here with me. Whats up?" she inquires in her familiar monotone.

"Its Lavi. Hanemi, I really think he's going to get me and Blankfoot killed. I mean, he's only got a day left before they start pickin' off other people in his life you feel?" And the thought of being hunted down by Grief sends a chill up his spine. He knows just how bad they can be and realizies that his death would be quick and painful.

"Didn't you work for Grief a year ago, you should know better than anyone else that if anyone is in danger, its Blankfoot. She saved Lavi's life and she's his best friend. I think they would go after her before they target you. You worry too much." Hanemi walks over to flop down on the bed and raises a wing as a sign for him to join her.

"Its not that simple babe. They don't care if she saved his life, its about who they think you're closer to. I mean me and Lavi go way back. He damn near put me through school, he's like a dad to me at this point."

Hanemi shakes her head. "And Blankfoot has known Lavi longer than you. You worry too much kid." She shakes her head again and leans on his shoulder. "Blankfoot and Lavi are old people, they knew each other longer. You're safe. Dont worry." She falls to her back and curls up in bed on top of his jacket.

"Don't worry Lupus." She says before turning over.

"Fine, fine. I cant win with you." And he rolls over and drapes an arm across her. She was right. It was crazy to think that he was in any trouble. after all Hanemi had a point. Blankfoot and Lavi did go back just a bit further than he did with Lavi. She would be the one to die in this situation and he could live just a bit longer. "Its a shame, I cant believe its gonna be her and not me."

Hanemi shrugs. "I guess until President Dai is done with his plan we just have to deal. It sucks but what can we really do?"

There was nothing they could do. He knew it well.

"At least its not me." Lupus sighs. He closes his eyes, refusing to believe it to be him who would take the role of an excuse to mourn. "It couldn't be. I would never be as long as I live.

"Ten year plan that's already two years in, huh?"

He would survive these next seven years.