Horendithas

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Considering the time constraints, it would make sense for Morty to implement a suggestion like Timber just brought up. If the city was surrounded for the most part, attempting to move civilians out in full could be taken in the wrong light. There is also the issue of just how much manpower he would actually have to effectively evacuate people and yet still leave the city defended. So I would think either they're holding out in schools like Beth mentioned or off in the cave that Timber suggested. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Rachmaninoff][FONT="Trebuchet MS"]And that explains why you gave [COLOR="Indigo"]Indi[/COLOR'] that cat plushie that she's so fond of hugging, even though she claims she doesn't. [/FONT][/quote][FONT="Verdana"]¬_¬ [/FONT][I]*boxes your ears*[/I][/COLOR][/FONT]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="Indigo"]It didn?t take long for the center to be flooded with injured Pokémon. Kendra wasn?t a doctor herself, but she recognized the signs of poison. She helped to sort those that needed more serious attention verses those that an antidote was the only requirement. It was clear to her that many of them wouldn?t be returning to battle anytime soon. She knew it hadn?t been that long, but the controlled chaos made it seem like they had been working for hours. Kendra was curious to know how the fight was progressing and yet at the same time she wasn?t sure she wanted to find out. [I]What if we?re losing? [/I] A commotion from the direction of the main doors gave her pause. Startled gasps and exclamations of disbelief reached her ears, though she couldn?t quite make out what they were saying. Kendra waded through the people milling about, gently pushing them aside until she could see what the fuss was about. [I]What the??[/I] One of the two trainers standing just inside the door had been hastily bandaged up around the chest. Blood was seeping through the cloth, and he was leaning heavily on the other for support. [I]How did he get hurt?[/I] She wondered as she watched the one sustaining him talk to an assistant before handing over their Pokémon for treatment. The pair turned to leave. ?[B]That?s enough with the gawking people.[/B]? The woman declared sharply. She fixed them with a glare and then waited for a moment to make sure everyone was returning to their duties. Then she turned and took the injured Pokémon back to the other room to be treated. Kendra flushed, embarrassed that she had engaged in [I]gawking[/I] as well, she should know better. She turned to continue assisting others who had entered the center when out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two stumble. Kendra quickly ran over to steady them. ?[B]What happened?[/B]? She asked once they regained their balance. ?[B]How did he get hurt?[/B]? ?[B]He was attacked by a Pokémon.[/B]? He answered her. ?[B]What??[/B] She exclaimed in shocked disbelief. ?[B]They?re attacking trainers.[/B]? He repeated, sounding dazed. ?[B]But? I?ve never heard of that before.[/B]? She protested. He just gave her a puzzled look before turning to leave and head for the medical center. At that moment, the lights to the center went out. Within a few seconds the emergency lights came on. [I]Now what?[/I] She looked to the two who were heading out the door. Neither one of them looked up to the task of getting to the medical center. [I]Someone needs to help them.[/I] She thought. Kendra grabbed the sleeve of another assistant passing by. ?[B]Would you let the others know I?m going to help those two get to the medical center? I?ll come back as soon as I?m done.[/B]? The girl nodded. ?[B]Okay.[/B]? Kendra let go and ran after the trainers who hadn?t gotten very far. [I]What the hell is going on?[/I] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Me thinks the chibi-master protests too much. :p[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='chibi-master]This is the internet. It [B]doesn't[/B'] make sense. That's the point.[/quote]And here I was thinking he was saying that [I]you[/I] made no sense, not the Internet. =P[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Well since I'm also following [B]Monster[/B] on SyFy, my vote will go there. =P [/COLOR][/FONT]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="Indigo"]It didn?t take Kendra long to get to the one spot on her map that had a little star next to it. She felt it was safe to assume that directions as well as specific assignments were being given out at that location. The constant hustle of people hurrying into the large business building and back out again only confirmed her guess. Those who went in, like her, were empty handed. Depending on which table they went too, after checking a list of names taped to the wall just inside the door, they either left laden with supplies or with a cloth bearing the Red Cross symbol for medical personnel attached to the back of their shirt or both. ?[B]Let?s see,[/B]? Kendra ran her finger along the list, looking for her name. Then to the right, underneath her name as she read what was written there. ?[B]Section three.[/B]? She mused out loud before turning around and weaving her way through the others in the large room, dodging Pokémon and people alike. She made for the table that had a large paper sign with the words ?section three? taped on the wall behind it. ?[B]Perhaps you should go back inside your ball for a bit, to alleviate the confusion.[/B]? She gave her Sneasel an encouraging smile as they joined the line of people waiting to talk to the two women manning the table. She could tell he wasn?t too happy at the thought, but understood just the same. A moment later she secured the now occupied ball in its spot on her belt. That taken care of, Kendra patiently waited in the line as it moved forward until finally, someone was free to talk to her. ?[B]Name?[/B]? The harried woman behind the table asked without bothering to glance up. ?[B]Kendra Johnston.[/B]? She waited as the woman checked the list she had and then turned around and reached into a box on the floor behind her. ?[B]Right, you?ve been assigned to the Pokémon center on Second Street. You familiar with it?[/B]? ?[B]Yes.[/B]? ?[B]Good.[/B]? She stood up, a cloth in hand. ?[B]Turn around please.[/B]? The woman ordered as she walked around the table. A moment later she was fastening the cloth on Kendra?s shirt. She turned around when the woman was done. ?[B]Dr. Matheson or one of his assistants will tell you what to do once you get there.[/B]? The woman offered a tiny smile. ?[B]Good luck and be careful.[/B]? ?[B]Thank you.[/B]? She nodded. ?[B]You too.[/B]? Once she was back outside she called her Sneasel back out. He would stay inside his ball if needed, but the rest of the time, doing so made him a bit ill tempered. Kendra didn?t mind, she felt better with him around anyway. The sun was already starting to rise as she hurried to where she had been directed to go. Her parents were probably at their assigned locations already. As she turned the last corner and approached the two-story medical center, an odd sound from the south of the city started to reach her ears. Kendra had an idea of what it was and hurried inside the medical center. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Depending on where you live, getting placed on the Sex Offender Registry is much easier than people realize. Instead of explaining it I'll just link to two articles that do so. [URL="http://blogs.abcnews.com/johnstossel/2009/09/sex-offender-registry-no-help-to-jaycee-dugard.html"][U]Sex Offender Registry No Help to Jaycee Dugard[/U][/URL] And this one here: [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=4444516&page=1"][U]Parents Turn to Police When Daughters Have Sex[/U][/URL] The problem is that assuming someone on the Sex Offender Registry must be dangerous, is far from accurate. Plenty of people are on there for stupid choices they made instead of being individuals who are truly dangerous to society. Either way, it's still not an effective solution at all. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Sabrina][FONT="Tahoma"']Also, it's far from infallible. A more powerful vampire, especially if they know any magic, could potentially detect it and simply get around it. Though unless they were very skilled, traces of it being tampered with would be detectable.[/FONT][/quote]I was actually thinking that someone more skilled would easily get around or disable such a trap. Much like Phaidra collapsed that one trap in on itself. So at best, it would merely serve to deal with ones who are rather young or less skilled, but not much else. Still definitely better than nothing. Oh and Darren will be following up on what I posted so if you two could not move your characters elsewhere, it would be appreciated. Thanks. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Red Stars [/b][/font][/size][/color][/center] [color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Adrian didnâ??t mind agreeing to get together with the others to discuss how things were going in regards to the vampires they had been tracking since their first encounter with the Count. They had often done so before that incident, if only to see how the other was doing. He had a tendency, back then, to skip out if he didnâ??t feel like it, but that was a trend he wasnâ??t going to allow anymore; and not because he was certain that Gavrie would box his ears if he did. Phaidra and Sarvelâ??s place was strikingly different than Luciaâ??s. Instead of the haphazard collection of misfit furniture and slight hint of dust, Phaidraâ??s place was meticulously clean, warm and inviting. The hardwood floors, earthen tones for the walls and hardwood furniture all fit together perfectly. The bottom floor was empty but the second level was graced with several antique sofas, a circular hardwood table with chairs and small professional kitchen along the far wall of the large room. He could see several other rooms at the end of the hallway that went back. One looked like it had office furniture and another had a large cherry wood bed and dresser. It took him a moment to realize that there was a faint aroma of pine trees prevalent throughout her abode. [b][i]-The magic and auras here are so perfectly balanced.- [/i][/b]Astera mused. [b][i]â??Her wards are designed to smooth out any inconsistencies.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-Oh?-[/i][/b] [b][i]-Normally youâ??d be picking up on the discord created by human technology, but this is filtering it out. Itâ??s likeâ?¦-[/i][/b] [b][i]-â?¦back home.-[/i][/b] Adrian finished for her. [b][i]-Yeah.-[/i][/b] Astera agreed. [b][i]â??I didnâ??t realize Phaidra was that skilled at magic.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-So itâ??s difficult to do?-[/i][/b] [b][i]-Yes and no. I could do something similar on a smaller scale for myself, but I would need to be in a fairly pure place to begin with. Creating one in a city, or near one as large as this, is more difficult. It would help, but it wouldnâ??t be as balanced.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-So youâ??d still pick up on the discord.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-Yes. But once we entered her place, I canâ??t feel it anymore, at all.-[/i][/b] Adrian nearly laughed out loud. [b][i]â??You just felt the urge to stay here.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-Sorry.-[/i][/b] [b][i]-No need to apologize.-[/i][/b] He soothed her. He didnâ??t mind the thought after all. Fairies did stay away from humans for that reason. Their existence, if they werenâ??t a familiar, depended on the tranquil harmonies of nature. No fairy would ever live close to a city like this, the pollution and discord would be painfully distressing and, over time, could kill them. He offered a slight nod to Phaidra and Sarvel after she thanked them for coming. Alex and Nall were already situated on one of the large sofas. He had barely taken a seat when he felt Lucia and Ruby approaching. A split second later he pulled back in surprise. [b][i]-What the hell? Why is he here?-[/i][/b] He resisted the urge to stand up when Lucia, Ruby and Karl entered the place. Lucia didnâ??t even bother to say hello and instead, sank wearily into the other sofa. She looked like she wanted to lean back and close her eyes and sleep. Karl, after glancing briefly in his direction, ignored the questioning look Adrian had as he took a seat next to Lucia. â??[b]Why are you here?[/b]â? He demanded bluntly. Karl smirked slightly. â??[b]Does it matter? I have my reasons.[/b]â? â??[b]I asked Nathan for training.[/b]â? Lucia interjected resignedly. â??[b]Karl is taking care of that.[/b]â? Adrian resisted the urge to snerk since that explained why Lucia looked so tired. â??[b]Well since youâ??re here,[/b]â? Adrian stared at Karl. â??[b]Why donâ??t you tell them why you think Shou Jian isnâ??t an imposter?[/b]â? â??[b]Uhâ?¦[/b]â? Sarvel spoke up. â??[b]We checked the records on the other side. They state quite clearly that the Jian clan was wiped out.[/b]â? Adrian looked at her and then Phaidra who nodded. â??[b]Sheâ??s correct. The records also indicate that no further trace of the clan, in the following cleansing, was ever found.[/b]â? â??[b]Butâ?¦[/b]â? He started to protest. â??[b]Didnâ??t I say that if you had bothered to read up on the war with the vampires, youâ??d understand what I was talking about?[/b]â? Karl shook his head. â??[b]The main gist of what I was getting at was that to take your enemy lightly would be a foolish mistake. Whether or not it really is Shou, at this point, is moot.[/b]â? Adrian didnâ??t have an answer to that and yet Karlâ??s guarded expression and manner of pretending the conversation didnâ??t happen puzzled him. Why would he have said it if he didnâ??t believe it? Karl never spoke to him unless he had something important to say. He never engaged in idle banter or discussion with him. He absentmindedly tuned out the discussion, letting Astera keep track of everything and occasionally interjecting a thought or two, since he was too distracted by wondering why Karl side stepped the request to explain why he thought it really was Shou. Most of what they were talking about he agreed with anyway so he didn't have anything to add. Holding off and making sure to coordinate everything with Nathan and the others was the logical thing to do. Though if they were going to do that, there was no reason why he couldnâ??t make a trip to the other side and check things for himself. Who was to say that Phaidra and Sarvel didnâ??t miss something? He made a mental note to send a request as soon as they were done. â??[b]So are we agreed then?[/b]â? Phaidra was saying. â??[b]Weâ??ll hold off for now and should something come up, we wait until everyone has responded before going to deal with it.[/b]â? â??[b]Fine by me.[/b]â? Adrian agreed with a shrug. â??[b]I have some other things Iâ??d like to take care of anyway.[/b]â? He shot a quick glance at Karl, but he was still ignoring him as if he didnâ??t exist. Adrian started to move to get up and stopped when his cell buzzed. He pulled it out and opened it up to take a look at the message. His eyebrows shot up in puzzled surprise. [i]What theâ?¦?[/i][/font][/size][/color]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]I have decided that watching Allamorph torment chibi-master ... is very, [I]very[/I] amusing. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]I'm going to go against the trend coming up so far in this thread. Not because I feel sorry for sex offenders, but because of the impractical nature of just sending them to the woods and hoping they'll behave and stay put. I see several glaring problems with that 'solution'. Namely, you can't effectively track them or know if they're not crossing into areas they shouldn't if they're living in the woods. Sure you can't if they're in the city. But if you know where they're living and working and they're doing as told by sticking to the restrictions, then it's much easier to keep an eye on them than it would be if they were still running about in the woods. Oh and you could suggest we put GPS implants on them so you'd know if they left the woods and went into an area they shouldn't, but do we really want to move into something that's more of a big brother deal? I'd rather not move in that direction for law enforcement. Also, this article is talking about people who have served their time and are actually trying to follow the restrictions. Why miss out on the opportunity to direct them towards appropriate housing and thus more effectively keep an eye on them? Whether they shouldn't have done it in the first place, when they've served their time as society dictates, is a moot point really. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]I'm a bit confused by [COLOR="DarkRed"]CaNz[/COLOR] [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=843366&postcount=15"][U]post[/U][/URL] so I'd like some clarification if you all don't mind. Mainly to see if I'm the only one thinking this. Anyway, first is this bit here about not using move names.[quote name='Allamorph][FONT=Calibri]Also, I work under the assumption that Pokémon are intelligent and capable creatures, and so the concept of them only being able to learn four ‘moves’ just doesn’t jive with me. Even the ‘moves’ themselves are a bit sketch; [U]I figure if you have to tell your critter to ‘use tackle’ then there’s something very wrong[/U'].[/FONT][/quote]Which is prevalent through out the entire fight sequence where she's working to earn that badge of hers. So that's a total misrepresentation of what kind of rp this is meant to be, or that's how it appears to me when I read it. The second concern is it just seems completely irrelevant to the story, in that it reads like fanfiction instead of a post for the rp. Plus your character [COLOR="DarkRed"]CaNz[/COLOR], his behavior doesn't really match up with your sign up, which is why it reads like self inserted fanfiction. Anyway, I'd appreciate people's input on this. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="Indigo"]Kendra would have tried to convince her parents to leave Ecruteak if she could. But she knew them well enough to know better than to try. They were even more stubborn than she was and there was no way they?d run so easily from danger. One didn?t need the ability to fight in order to care for those who would end up hurt, or dead once the fighting started. There was an eerie calm over the city as people rushed to prepare for what was coming. Kendra didn?t want to think about how that calm would be shattered soon enough. It almost seemed like any other night, only this time, Kendra had no time to sleep. As if sensing her uneasiness the dark green Sneasel following along, leaned into her right side when she walked into the store, clinging to her as if to reassure her. She smiled slightly as she rested her hand on his head briefly before he let go. Out of all her companions, he had been with her the longest. ?[B]I really wish it hadn?t come to this.[/B]? She said softly as the doors closed behind her. She had only taken a few steps when the door leading into the backroom, where the supplies for the store were kept, opened up to admit an older woman. ?[B]There you are.[/B]? Kendra?s mother exclaimed. ?[B]I was about to send someone after you.[/B]? ?[B]What did you need?[/B]? Her mother handed her a small sheet of paper. It was a simple map of the town with several spots marked in red and then in blue. ?[B]We?ve already divided up the supplies for treating anyone who is injured. They were sent to their designated spots, and the list of who will be working at each one has been posted.[/B]? She explained as Kendra looked at the map. "[B]The red spots will be for treating Pokemon and the blue for everyone else.[/B]" "[B]In addition to our current centers I assume.[/B]" Kendra noticed that some of the marks were for businesses. She just hoped they wouldn't need them. "[B]Right.[/B]" Her mother motioned for her to follow as she headed back the direction she had just come. ?[B]Anyway there isn?t enough time to sleep, but there is enough to mix up some more potions and medicine.[/B]? ?[B]True.[/B]? Kendra agreed. She doubted she could fall asleep even if she tried. At least helping her mother would keep her busy. And at least it would be useful-busy. She followed her into the store?s stillroom. It was dark, cool, and redolent with the odors of a dozen different herbs. Out of all of the workplaces in the store, it was Kendra?s favorite. Most of the stuff they sold was purchased elsewhere and already prepared for use. But some things her parents preferred to make themselves. ?[B]Why don?t you go and see what?s going on?[/B]? Her mother suggested after a while. ?[B]The sun will be coming up soon.[/B]? ?[B]What about you?[/B]? ?[B]I?ll be along as soon as I finish with this potion.[/B]? ?[B]Alright.[/B]? ?[B]Be careful.[/B]? ?[B]I will.[/B]? Kendra promised before turning to head back out. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]I've also talked to Nathan and to Shy about our group up on the Vosper Summet. Nathan will be putting in a post that will wrap that up and have the respective parties heading back home to decide on what to do next. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][QUOTE=Allamorph][FONT=Calibri]Oh, and that reminds me. Anyone who thinks they can godmod will then get to see one or the other of us show you how it's really done. So you know. :p[/FONT][/QUOTE]Somehow, I'm seeing you or Kei doing something like what Raiha mentioned on AIM: [B]Raiha:[/B] Snorlax used body slam [B]Raiha:[/B] you are both paralyzed for life and unconscious [B]Raiha:[/B] alas. [I][SIZE="1"]*snerks*[/SIZE][/I][/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]No need to delete it but yeah, it's a bootleg. Anytime something is [I]all regions[/I], that's a dead giveaway that it's not legit. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[IMG]http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1354/128977416449641269.jpg[/IMG]

[COLOR="Indigo"][FONT="Arial"]Thanks for the suggestions. I've altered my sign up with the replacements.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Allamorph][FONT=Calibri']First, this will be, as we?ve said, a story-driven game. Because of that, and because we expect our players (like us) have lives, the pace won?t be demanding. I?d much rather go a month to hit three pages than to break a thousand posts inside of a week. It leaves more room for creativity, I find. So if you?re worried you won?t have time to keep up, you should be fine.[/FONT][/quote]Just one thing, should you accept my sign up. =P I'll be holding you to this, cat. At least later on this year when my schedule becomes a bit more insane. Also, thanks for the links, because I literally know nothing about this stuff. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]No laughing, cat. [FONT="Verdana"]¬_¬[/FONT] [B]Name:[/B] Kendra Johnston [B]Age:[/B] 30 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://img3.imageshack.us/i/redxt.jpg/"]Click Meh![/URL] [B]Allegiance:[/B] Protester [B]Status:[/B] Freelancer under Morty. [B]Bio:[/B] Kendra grew up working with her parents in their family owned and operated Pokémon store. Though they specialize in special medicines, they also provide other basic goods. Her experience with Pokémon center’s more around understanding their needs. Though she prefers to avoid conflict, Kendra considers the League’s attempts to exert rigid control a serious threat to free trade. [B]Personality:[/B] Calm and collected. Kendra is very personable and easy to get along with. However, when it comes to business matters she is quite strict and a tad ruthless about working out a fair deal between the involved parties. [B]Primary Pokémon:[/B]* Gloom, Sneasel, Golbat, Flaafy [SIZE="1"]*Many thanks to the lovely Raiha for helping me with Pokemon selections since I haven't a clue in hell how to go about it. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Rain is great. The way storms end up messing with my allergies, is not. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]What's amusing about that paticular article Darren, is how the one against it, is in fact insured through Medicare. I have to wonder just how against it he would be if he didn't have that insurance. I think it's pretty easy to object to something when you're safely in the net of having insurance yourself and thusly unaffected by whether or not the reform happens. And what makes me laugh the most is one of my relatives, who has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, is living with relatives because she can't work and hasn't managed to get on disability, and yet she's 100% against the reform because it might not cover some of the treatments she gets. This attitude totally gets a WTF reaction out of me and others since she has no insurance at all so it's not being covered anyway. So she's whining about something that is completely irrelevant. If it passed, the insurance would have covered all sorts of things even if it didn't cover that one procedure. Right now her family is paying for her care, so in my opinion, she's a moron to object over something like that. But then most of the time, she never makes any sense anyway, but still.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]I think the longest I've gone is a few days without sleep. The last time, it was because I was sick and I had a headache that kept me from falling asleep. The rest of the time, I tend to sleep about six hours and then I'm good to go. Sometimes I'll sleep around eight, like on the weekends, but the rest of the time, I'm too used to waking up after that six hours is up. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Troubled Mind[/b][/font][/size][/color][/center] [color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Gavrie almost felt like giving up. He didn/t completely agree with Nathan and yet at the same time, he could also see why he was doing things the way he was. The sounds of music and people chatting brought him back to the present for a moment. If he wasn't so pressed for time, he might have actually enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant more, but he was too busy questioning Nathan to determine just what, if anything had been done to prepare the kids to deal with Shou. Nathan didn't seem at all bothered by the questions and readily filled him in. Bit by bit his answers quieted his irritation. He may have not told them who they were facing but it was reassuring to learn that Nathan had been training the other reaper Alex, and now had him working with Adrian. But that didn't cover the other one, Phaidra or their tech girl, Lucia who had recently requested help, according to Nathan. "[b]It sounds like you have more to cover than you have time for,[/b]" Gavrie observed as their waitress returned with the change from their bill and left it on the table before heading off. "[b]I would need to ask Karl, but if he agrees, he could take care of training your tech girl while I finish up the rest of my assignments.[/b]" Isen's eyebrows shot up at that statement. "[b]He could get her up to speed in everything but spiritual based attacks, and since I expect to be Earthside for a couple of years, he could help her long enough to make a difference.[/b]" Gavrie offered. "[b]That's rather fortunate.[/b]" Nathan replied. They all seemed slightly surprised, something Gavrie understood all too well. Though he got the impression that Nathan was pleased with it, instead of alarmed. '[b]Whenever I take on a serious student, Karl handles most if not all of the training for the first couple of years.[/b]" He elaborated. "[b]He oversaw Adrian and Astera's training for nearly three years while I took care of other stuff.[/b]' Gavrie leaned back a bit in his chair. "[b]I'm sure I don't have to explain how the Mark seals his ability to change.[/b]" Nathan shook his head. "[b]Right, so back during the war when we first started working together, I made sure he got training, whenever possible, to make up for that. Karl took that training and then modified it to teach himself what the others couldn't. Since then Karl has always worked with me when I train anyone.[/b]" Gavrie grinned slightly, "[b]He's more than capable of holding his own and after that little display of power earlier, you're going to need someone who knows what to look for to help keep the kids out of trouble.[/b]" "[b]You're certain he would agree to this?[/b]" Chris interjected. Gavrie nodded. "[b]I would be surprised if he didn't.[/b]" He looked away for a moment and then turned back. "[b]There's something important I need to tell you though, in regards to Karl and myself. I would have told you sooner, but I've taken care of so many assignments during and after the war that until earlier today, I had forgotten about it.[/b]" He trailed off frowning slightly. "[b]It has to do with how Victor was saying that Shou is the type to hold a grudge.[/b]" He trailed off again, thinking on how to approach it. "[b]You all know that Shou's father and brother were assassinated right?[/b]" The others nodded. "[b]Well... though I wasn't the one who actually dealt the blow to his father, I was a part of the team involved. And when it comes to his brother Tsu, I was the one who killed him.[/b]" Isen stared at him blankly for a moment and then interrupted him when he was about to continue. "[b]Wait, so you're saying that Karl was Marked by the Jian clan?[/b]" Gavrie nodded. "[b]I am. Shou's brother Tsu, was well known for the experiments he would conduct on other races. It was decided, by the Council, that such perversions could not be allowed to continue and I, along with two others, were sent to deal with him.[/b]" He folded his arms across his chest. "[b]Later on, both of my teammates were ambushed and killed by vampires. I was on the other side, taking care of stuff for the Council at the time so I was unable to get definite proof; but I believe Shou was behind it.[/b]" "[b]Is that how you met Karl?[/b]" Nathan asked. Gavrie nodded again, momentarily startled by Nathan's insight. "[b]Anyway, I'm quite sure that Shou hasn't forgotten that I killed his brother Tsu, and I'm fairly certain he knows that Karl is my partner.[/b]" He took in a deep breath and let it out. "[b]Even if he doesn't know about Karl, he would recognize the Mark. I'm sure others in his current employ would as well.[/b]" "[b]Oh? What makes you say that?[/b]" Nathan leaned forward slightly. "[b]Some of the vampires, who were sent to deal with the children, had the same mark on their chests.[/b]" Gavrie explained. "[b]I doubt any of them were more than a few centuries old, if that.[/b]" "[b]Ah, so they're still using a mark of loyalty then."[/b] "[b]Yeah.[/b]" Gavrie placed his hands on the table and stretched his arms a bit before pulling back."[b]Anyway, I really need to get going so could you see if your tech girl has time for us to stop by after I pick up Karl?[/b]" Nathan nodded and pulled out his cell phone as Gavrie stood up to leave. "[b]This is where I'm going to wander off,[/b]" Chris stood up with a smile and knowing glance in Isen's direction. "[b]Catch you later.[/b]" She nodded politely to Gavrie before leaving. Gavrie waited semi patiently while Nathan and Isen exchanged pleasantries with a few of the patrons they knew there as they meandered towards the exit, and then finally, to Gavrie's relief, they were outside. After the crowded atmosphere, the cool evening air was surprisingly refreshing. They halted for a moment while Nathan called Lucia. "[b]So, what did she say?[/b]" He asked when Nathan was done. "[b]We can come over any time this evening.[/b]" He tucked the phone back into the pocket of his blazer. "[b]I have a few questions for you so if you don't mind; we'll come along with you.[/b]" "[b]Sure, I hope you don't have a lot though,[/b]" Gavrie said as he took to the air. "[b]I am behind schedule after all.[/b]" "[b]Shouldn't take too long,[/b]" Nathan assured him, and to his relief, it didn't. By the time they got to where Karl was sitting on the roof of the apartment building where Adrian and Astera were staying, he was finished. They hadn't even quite landed when Adrian was already up and moving to intercept them, clearly agitated. Karl just lazily stood up and waited to see what Gavrie was going to do. "[b]Gavrie,[/b]" Adrian started the moment he had landed, "[b]I need to talk to you.[/b]" Gavrie sighed inwardly, "[b]I'm sorry Adrian, but I don't have time.[/b]" "[b]But..."[/b] "[b]I was pulled from an existing assignment,[/b]" Gavrie shot a quick glance at Nathan who was nonchalantly looking elsewhere. "[b]So it will have to wait.[/b]" He said firmly. Adrian looked down, crestfallen. He finally nodded. "[b]Okay.[/b]" "[b]Let's go Karl.[/b]" Gavrie waited for him to nod before taking off, heading for one of the other buildings in the city. He still needed to actually talk to him first. Once they were well out of Adrian's ability to sense them he landed on the roof of the closest building. Karl shot him and the others a puzzled look. "[b]Don't we need to get going?[/b]" Karl was confused. "[b]Yes, but I'd like to know if you'd be willing to stay in the city and help with training while I take care of the rest of our assignments.[/b]" "[b]Oh? Who did you want me to work with?[/b]" His eyes flickered briefly to Nathan and Isen who were waiting, and then back to Gavrie. "[b]Their tech girl Lucia has requested training. However Nathan is already working with Alex and he has him working with Adrian.[/b]" "[b]Ah, I see. So other than basic training,[/b]" his tone became slightly sarcastic, "[b]I assume she has none at all?[/b]" "[b]Unless she's worked with the humans, I believe that is the case.[/b]" Karl snorted disdainfully. "[b]Even if she has, that won't prepare her for dealing with someone like Shou.[/b]" He turned to address Nathan. "[b]I assume that you or someone else will take care of spiritual based training once I'm done?[/b]" Nathan nodded. Karl turned back to Gavrie and shrugged. "[b]Okay, I'll do it. I'm also going to assume you want me to keep watch.[/b]" "[b]Yes, I do. And I'd prefer it if you don't enlighten the kids on just who they're really facing.[/b]" "[b]What?[/b]" Karl exclaimed. "[b]Why?[/b]" "[b]Let's just say that for now, I agree with Nathan's assessment that knowing just who they are up against, could work against them.[/b]" "[b]Just like how they don't know who Nathan really is?[/b]" Karl quipped. Gavrie stared at him. Karl matched Gavrie's stare with one of his own before he finally gave in with a sigh. "[b]Alright, if you think that's for the best, I'll keep my mouth shut, for now.[/b]" "[b]Thank you[/b]." Gavrie said simply. "[b]Now, we really do need to get going.[/b]" He turned and looked at Nathan who with a simple nod, turned and headed for Lucia's apartment.[/font][/size][/color]