Main Story

When Monica heard her mother had cancer, she was devastated. For many weeks, she didn't know what to do to help her only remaining family, but when a strange person met her in the hospital and told her of a way to save her mother, she didn't think twice and jumped at the opportunity. The girl was to summon a demon to give her mother strength, but by the time Monica was prepared to perform the ritual, her mother had already died. Now, the girl summoned the demon forth for a different purpose: to bring her beloved family member back from the dead.
The demon agreed to do so, but as soon as her mother returned to her, Monica knew something was dreadfully wrong. Her mother's body returned, but not her soul. The woman was a shadow of her former self and could only do the most basic, emotionless of tasks. The body, still being dead, began to rot away, and Monica, grief and horror -stricken, returned to where she had summoned the demon. She tried to call it back, but when that did not work, she went to the streets, shouting for help from the cruel demon whom had tricked her.

Akino, the daughter of a priest and an exorcist herself, noticed the hysterical girl whom others were staring at in bewilderment. Akino did her best to calm the girl, and after listening to her story, the exorcist vowed to help. Monica, who was now full of hatred for the demon whom had fooled her into thinking her mother would return without cost, swore that she would kill the demon with her new friend's help.
Akino and Monica find the demon with the help of Akino's nekomata cat, Yuu, whom could track down demons in a certain range. After they find the demon, however, it explains that the soul of the departed mother was payment for its actions, and that it had done nothing wrong in completing its bargain with the girl, even if it hadn't been what she'd wanted. Outraged by this trickery, Akino destroyed the demon's vessel, but before she could kill the demon itself, it escaped into Monica's body, attempting to take her over as a host.

The demon's presence in Monica's body deformed it, and she grew curled ram's horns, long, bovine ears, and an ox's tail. Before the demon completely took over, however, Akino forced Monica to drink strong holy water, which purified and ultimately obliterated the demon. Because the demon died within her, Monica kept the demonic body parts, as well as a few of its powers, passed down from the demon to her.
Before the two left the demon's lair, an awful noise caused them to wander further into its abode. They investigated further and found Isolde, a demigod bear from the far north, caged and struggling to free itself. Akino nearly killed the thing, but Monica stopped her, thinking that the bear would do no harm to them if it were to just be freed. The exorcist was doubtful, but as soon as the short-sighted bear saw the demonic shape of the girl, so similar to its tormentor and master, it quieted, fearful. Monica decided to take the creature with her, as it seemed so pitiful, despite Akino's protests, and after some time, the bear grew to trust and love its new master (after it figured out that the girl and demon were not one in the same). Akino only accepted it after she convinced herself it would be okay because normal humans could not see the bear, and Monica had taken great care to train it against attacking unprovoked.

With her mother gone and nothing else holding her to the city she lived in, Monica decided to leave with Akino, whom hunted demons and other, dark creatures. Monica took on the difficult role of convincing Akino that not all seemingly evil creatures were so awful, as she herself had learned in caring for Isolde and had observed from watching Yuu. When they would encounter a demon or otherwise misunderstood creature, they decided, together, that both would have to agree on the wickedness of a creature before dispatching it or allowing it to live, albeit in less troublesome places than they were first found.
They both had a chance to test out that "misunderstood" theory when, on one of their first missions together, they met an inugami named Dai. Dai was once a happy dog, but a stranger took him from his home, buried him up to his neck, placed food and water just out of reach until he nearly died, and finally killed him by cutting off his head. That caused him to turn into a vengeful demon who had to obey the whims of the person who had tortured him so. The man instructed Dai to possess a human scumbag to kill his enemies, and after many months of doing his master's bidding, the inugami turned on his tormentor and killed him. That was what had led Monica and the others to the place of the demon. At first, Dai appeared to be a vicious and distrusting monster, even in his human form, but with some prodding and patient conversation, Monica convinced him to join their party so he could see that not all humans were cruel and not all demons had to be bad. Akino, at first, had insisted that the demon leave the body of his human host, but Dai explained that the human he possessed had been an awful person anyways and that his soul had all but vanished from the demon-occupied body. The exorcist accepted that and promised she wouldn't force him from the body, so long as he made it do good to make up for all evil it had committed.

Now, the merry little group goes around, changing, relocating, or killing demons, beasts, and supposed monsters, trying to make the world better for those who call upon them for help and for those humans whom know nothing about the dark world, just beyond their vision. Monica is determined to break up any sour dealings between demons and humans, so none can suffer as she had, but that and the other things they do stir up trouble in the more sinister communities.
Something similar to a demonic "mafia" tries to use Monica's forgiving nature to manipulate the girl, and they do their best to get rid of Akino and the others who would do their best to thwart their wicked plans. They would rather see the whole world burn than to watch another creature of darkness lean towards the light, and the constant meddling in their deals causes them to despise the whole lot. The vile organization has found it's easiest to mess with the mind of the inugami, whom already has problems discerning right from wrong, and they try their hardest to turn them all against one another in such a manner.

Character Info

Monica Reed; female; bisexual; 23; human with demonic attributes
Monica is a confident and kind individual, but that doesn't mean she can't kick butt when the time comes. Her demonic strength and large stature make her a formidable foe, although she would much rather not fight, if she can prevent it. She can control white-hot fire when she's angry and cool, purple fire when she wishes to purify something (or someone). She lets loose a smokey miasma when severely upset which can be dangerous to those around her, so she tends to leave her friends when she is depressed. Although she is strong both physically and mentally, she is a bit weak on the emotional side, which makes her easier for creatures that are actually wicked to sway her into thinking they have a good side. She tries hard to find the good in everything, despite all that's happened to her, and whilst she would like to change everyone they meet for the better, sometimes, there's nothing they can do but kill the creature, for the safety of others. Despite her sensitive side and her preference for nonviolence, Monica likes to act tough and will usually take on missions with a "we can do this!" attitude. Sometimes, when around regular people, she tries to hide her tail or horns or ears, although she knows that they cannot see them; she's still not completely used to those features and doesn't wish for others to freak out because of them. Her closest companion in the group may be Akino, even though the

Akino Himoto; female; asexual; 26; human
Akino (who is half Japanese) lost her mother and her left leg to a car accident when the girl was very young, so for most of her life, only her father was there to care for her. He took her with him to travel, and when she was only twelve, she witnessed him fighting.... something. She could not see it, but after her father had been sent to the hospital due to his injuries after facing the creature, she insisted that he tell her everything. After that, he began teaching the stubborn child whom refused to believe his attempts at lying to keep her safe. He taught her how to see the demons and dark creatures and explained to her that her mother's death was not a true accident, but the work of monsters that normal humans could not see. Akino's father taught her how to handle such demons and dispose of them properly, and after many years of training, they both set out on their first mission together. She hadn't meant to make the mistake she had, and she never intended for her father to be fatally injured due to her flaw. He had died, however, after making a last effort and killing the beast that they hunted. Instead of becoming depressed over the loss of her father, however, Akino hardened herself and decided that no one else would be orphaned by monsters. Akino became a hired killer of creatures that go "bump" in the night, and at the calls for help from others, she would come to their rescue, ever growing in experience and resilience against her enemies. She hadn't accepted Monica's views early on, but after many an adventure together, she began to see that not all demons and supposed monsters were wicked, and she continually learns that there is plenty of good within many misunderstood creatures of the world. Akino's the leader of the group and finds cases for them to work and missions for them to go on, but she still needs some work on her leading skills, as not everyone in the group fully follows her orders. That's irksome, but what could be expected from the strange group full of young people and stubborn beasts?

Dai; male; heterosexual; 38 (appears to be 19); inugami possessing human body
Dai never believed he could trust humans again, after his awful experiences with the worst of the species, but now that he's with Monica and Akino, he's learned that not all humans are so despicable as the ones he knew. When he's with them, he can remember his days as a regular dog, playing with the children of his old home and sleeping at the foot of his owners' bed. However, when it comes to men, especially those with faces similar to his tormentor, he becomes wary and protective of the band of oddballs whom he's so loyal to. If he ever feels a little awkward in the group, being the only male, he doesn't show it, and keeps up a good mood, most of the time. Because he's mostly a dog at heart--albeit with human traits due to both being in a human's body and still having portions of that host human's soul floating around--Dai enjoys nothing more than being beside his comrades and helping them in their hours of need. He's not very close to either Isolde nor Yuu, and Akino still can be apprehensive when it comes to him. Monica, on the other hand, is probably his favorite out of the bunch. She has reached out to him and pulled him into her heart, and he loves her deeply, as a friend and canine companion would. He would do anything for her, and he often won't leave her side unless absolutely necessary, especially in battle. Despite that, when she tells him to do something, he will bolt away and do so obediently and only complains when it's something he either doesn't want to do or think is wise to do. When his collar is taken off in his human form, he can lose connection to the host body, but when he shows his true form (which is what most demons/etc see him as anyways), if the collar is taken off, his head goes with it, leaving his body and head separate. When in a foul mood or injured, his body will seep black miasma, and in his canine form, his emaciated shape will show, leaking the smokey gas from his ribcage and mouth (if his head is connected; or through his exposed esophagus, if not). His dog form is that of a Hokkaido and Kishu mix with a completely white body (excluding the tan marks on his face).

Isolde; biologically female; asexual; 457 (adult); northern demigod bear
Isolde is often mounted to ride, as her plated back make an easy saddle, albeit not a very comfortable one, and she can carry all of the group, plus a few more, on her back with her immense strength and stamina. Her bite could break concrete and her claws rip through steel, but those features are nothing compared to her deadly fangs when they turn icy and can freeze whatever she bites into. Her paws, when slammed into the earth, can cause mighty quakes that can be felt nearly a mile from her location. She is a powerhouse, but she still obeys the commands of her adoring Monica, whom she plays with rowdily and cuddles with gently. Isolde and Yuu have grown very close to one another, after their initial, tense meeting, and now, the two can scarcely be seen without one another. The bear is good with controlling her own strength, and thus, does not harm her tiny friend nor any whom do not threaten her or her group's safety. Isolde is immortal, as far as aging goes, but she can still be killed with enough damage done to her body, though that is still a challenging task to accomplish. She can sense lies, which can often be useful to the group when dealing with demons and other speaking creatures. She may not understand all of the words, but she still alerts her companions of deception, if she's around to hear. Her "scales" are made of the same stuff as her nails and are hard [but not impossible] to break; they will grow out constantly [at a slow rate] if she doesn't keep them under some control.

Yuu; female; pansexual; 96 (appears to be mid-30's as human; adult-aged cat); nekomata (demon cat)
When she was still a young cat, homeless and afraid of most of the world, Yuu was taken from the streets by Akino's father, when he was just a boy. He raised her with kindness and love, which the world had not shown to her ever before, and when her tail split in two, she became a very tame and loving demon. However, after he died, her love retracted, for the most part, and although she followed and [sometimes] obeyed Akino, she never truly respected and adored her the way she did the girl's father. Despite that, the demonic cat can be rather protective of the girl, even though she acts like she does nothing special nor out of the ordinary when she does so. The nekomata, like most others like her, can appear and disappear at will, which makes it much easier for her to ignore commands, as well as complete stealthy missions. She's a very proud and vain creature, but she can also be rather cruel when it comes to mocking others, especially when she is particularly upset with a human and walks on two legs to berate said person. The demon cat can sense other demons (though not other monsters) from miles away, though she cannot always pinpoint their exact location. She can speak telepathically and understand most languages, but she would much rather talk than actually listen. A bit self-absorbed, Yuu can become aloof and uncaring when the others need her for something she views as trivial or when she's in a bad mood. For situations that aren't life-threatening, she often wants rewards before her efforts are made, but sometimes, if caught in a good mood, Akino can convince her to do something by complimenting and praising her. Yuu has a human form, but although it is very beautiful, she finds it just as hideous as any other human body, so she dislikes using it, unless absolutely necessary. She can also shape shift into a more beastly creature, much more powerful than her other main forms (though not nearly as powerful as Isolde), but because she finds that form to be "absolutely atrocious" in appearance, she almost never uses it. Yuu and Isolde only separate when their partners part from one another, and sometimes, even then, they'll stick together. Her prosthetic leg is sturdy and is made with hard, painted bamboo; she barely even notices it's different, most of the time, but she can be a little sensitive about it, if it's pointed out.

Extra info

Most of the group's adventures and missions take them across Europe and Asia, but they have traveled to many countries and met many other "monster" hunters. Monica's always tried to change the minds of others and find like-minded individuals, but many hunters went into the "business" due to great losses from monster attacks, so she's had very little luck.
Whilst most humans cannot see the demons, monsters, and creatures of this "earth" without training, those who have been personally touched (usually with bloodshed) by them can often gain the sight needed to view the hidden world beneath their ordinary, doubtful vision. Really, it's a matter of believing as to whether or not someone can see the "monsters" of the invisible world, but many people do not truly believe in such things, and thus, cannot see the evils (and not-so-evils) that lurk beneath the surface. These mythical, magical creatures can sometimes reveal themselves to normal, unbelieving humans, but most cannot, and thus, the general populous remain ignorant. Most animals can see the underlying world, and thus, they can panic and cause humans to question their surroundings, but most times, the people just don't understand, so the warnings are ignored.

Another case that they were particularly successful in was one with Naferti (my blue demon character), whom was changed almost completely after meeting them.

Monica likes to wear clothes that are both comfortable and what she thinks makes her look good (which is anything she wants to wear, really, cause she's just that confident in her appearance). Above is a common outfit for her, but she does enjoy wearing bright colors and anything that works with the weather where she's at, even if some people are rude and say she "shouldn't" be wearing that, due to her weight.
Akino wears practical, feminine clothing, mostly in cool, less saturated colors. She's not afraid to show off her leg, as she rather likes how it looks, and is just as comfortable wearing a short skirt or shorts as she is wearing pants (though the pants can be a bit harder to put on than something shorter).
Dai doesn't wear too many outfits, and what he does wear is usually loose, and sometimes (much to Akino's disapproval) a bit baggy (though not if it's inconvenient to wear). He wears warm colors, usually, and prefers natural materials in his clothing rather than synthetics.