Non-HPU: Crater City

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I have one somewhere," Julian remarked, wondering if his answers would get him in the motor pool or in intelligence. "It's about eight years old and I was in my Winter coat but it's definitely me. I may as well go first." He searched through his (largely empty) wallet, then opened an 'invisible' pocket in it to find an old, battered, I.D. card that he handed over.

[SeanWolf]

"Physically, he'll be fine." Wildfire looked over his shoulder at the child, who was still being checked by one of the paramedics. "Emotionally though, he's been away from his family and in an abusive, criminal environment for a year at least. It's going to be hard, I'm not going to lie. He's going to need a lot of care."

"I wouldn't blame him," Mordecai remarked while looking over at the child, "Probably why he also didn't really register me. I can't explain why, none of us Tikbalang can, but for some reason children react to us like we were a loving member of their family. It's weird and it's something we never could figure out at first but, nowadays? I guess you can say we see ourselves as protectors of the young ones," he turned his gaze back over to Wildfire, "Say, what's the child's name?"

[DdeeStar]

"Exactly like that. But this isn't meant to be a test. It's just to make sure you're able to bend and stretch without hurting yourself so we can put you to work safely and so we know you can safely handle the physical test if you decide to join, as well as the rigours of basic training and join the defensive branch of the KDF." Lightfoot explains, putting Tigress through the same series of exercises as everyone else.
"Well, I think we're done here unless there's anything else you wanted to discuss with me? I am a doctor after all."

Tigress gives a single confused laugh. "So the requirements for me to be deemed fully fit is that I can move and breathe? Wow." She pauses, crossing her arms and looking off in the distance behind him. "Are the facilities here... big enough for a Kaiju of my size? And sturdy enough? Or should I just stay like this here, too?"

[Deske]

Gregg finished his questionnaire and set it on one of the end tables next to him as Julian made ready to conduct his interview. He took a small cardholder out of his pocket and fished his driver's license out of it, and placing it in an easier to access pocket, so he'd be ready for his interview. Once he'd done that he turned to Mist, "So, are you excited?" He asks, moreso to break the ice again and get Mist talking than as a real question.

[Citrisfur]

"Yep, I'm right behind you." Hyper said as he caught up to Lyncus. "Let's go."

Lyncus, after making sure Hyper's caught up to her, begins to walk down the path. "Hey, actually, if you knew you were a Kaiju this whole time, why haven't you told anyone? Not even James? Aren't there plenty of Kaiju in this city?"

[DdeeStar]

Gregg finished his questionnaire and set it on one of the end tables next to him as Julian made ready to conduct his interview. He took a small cardholder out of his pocket and fished his driver's license out of it, and placing it in an easier to access pocket, so he'd be ready for his interview. Once he'd done that he turned to Mist, "So, are you excited?" He asks, moreso to break the ice again and get Mist talking than as a real question.

Mist deliberately glances over at Heather to check if she's still there. Finding it so, he replies "Of course. I've been waiting for this for over a year." He starts fidgeting with the edge of his cape, drawing it over his lap to run his claws along the fabric.

[CyberDragon]

"When the other diners realised we were being shot at and that an arrest was being made, they panicked a bit, that's all. I don't think anyone was hurt or too much damage was done though." Ryan explains.
"As to their rights, I'm not sure, sorry. Wildfire made the arrests so you'd have to ask him. I was focusing on getting the mayor to safety until we realised the kid was kidnapped. And Wildfire stopped the car by... Just sort of stomping on it, I think. I only saw from the corner of my eye because I was keeping the first hunter we arrested covered with my taser."

The captain blinked, and his note taking paused. "He did all that..." he pointed his pen at the totaled vehicle. The engine had been completely pushed through the bottom of the chassis, the engine block was flattened and bent in half, and the hood was broken in two mangled pieces of scrap metal. The front driver-side tire was melted, and two roughly fist-sized holes had been punched through the windshield. "...by stepping on it?"

---------------------------

"I wouldn't blame him," Mordecai remarked while looking over at the child, "Probably why he also didn't really register me. I can't explain why, none of us Tikbalang can, but for some reason children react to us like we were a loving member of their family. It's weird and it's something we never could figure out at first but, nowadays? I guess you can say we see ourselves as protectors of the young ones," he turned his gaze back over to Wildfire, "Say, what's the child's name?"

"Daniel, according to the missing person's poster." Wildfire said, absently sitting down on a nearby curb. He poked at the ground, thoughtfully. As he did so, more green flame shot down his arm and into the ground, causing a small patch of grass and a daisy to grow from the cracks in the concrete. "I don't know why that connection isn't there right now. But if it causes him to look at you like family, well..." he glanced sideways at the hunters just before Elder finished carrying them out of view. "You see what kind of family he's had for the past year. I'd have a hard time trusting people too."

---------------------------

Mist deliberately glances over at Heather to check if she's still there. Finding it so, he replies "Of course. I've been waiting for this for over a year." He starts fidgeting with the edge of his cape, drawing it over his lap to run his claws along the fabric.

"I have one somewhere," Julian remarked, wondering if his answers would get him in the motor pool or in intelligence. "It's about eight years old and I was in my Winter coat but it's definitely me. I may as well go first." He searched through his (largely empty) wallet, then opened an 'invisible' pocket in it to find an old, battered, I.D. card that he handed over.

Heather noticed that Mist seemed hesitant, so she figured it would be better to get the interview on sooner rather than later to give him some space. She checked Julian's ID and, finding it acceptable, led him down the halls to the same room she had just interviewed Mist and Tigress in. "Please, take a seat." she offered, pointing to the nearest chair as she moved to the far side of the table. "So, what is it you're hoping to get out of joining the KDF? I understand you would like to work more on construction and public aid programs, correct? You want to help people? What else are you hoping to do?"

[SeanWolf]

"Daniel, according to the missing person's poster." Wildfire said, absently sitting down on a nearby curb. He poked at the ground, thoughtfully. As he did so, more green flame shot down his arm and into the ground, causing a small patch of grass and a daisy to grow from the cracks in the concrete. "I don't know why that connection isn't there right now. But if it causes him to look at you like family, well..." he glanced sideways at the hunters just before Elder finished carrying them out of view. "You see what kind of family he's had for the past year. I'd have a hard time trusting people too."

Mordeci nodded solemnly, "It's sad but one can't expect to walk through the fires of the underworld without being burnt. I wouldn't be surprised if he never recovers..." he then decides to lighten the mood a bit by adding, "As for the van...eh, I'm pretty sure we can buff that out. I mean, you just scratched the paint job on it."

[Foxfan2164]

"Yep, I'm right behind you." Hyper said as he caught up to Lyncus. "Let's go."

Lyncus, after making sure Hyper's caught up to her, begins to walk down the path. "Hey, actually, if you knew you were a Kaiju this whole time, why haven't you told anyone? Not even James? Aren't there plenty of Kaiju in this city?"

"Well no, not really. There aren't a lot of kaiju in this city and there are a lot of bad people that hunt us." Hyper said, stuffing his paws in his jacket pocket as he followed Lyncus. "That's why I don't tell a lot of people. They might be hunters. Even if they aren't they might still dislike kaiju and might make a scene."

[Welsh Halfwit]

Julian took the offered seat and thought on his response. "Well," he said after a moment, "I won't lie and say I don't need the money but, yeah, I do have things that, uh, tie into that." He straightened up. "I took the job I have when I could have had better paid ones in vehicle maintenance simply because the same question comes up in every job application, on the form or in the interview. 'Are you a Kaiju?' Lie and you can get dismissed immediately they find out. Tell the truth and see their look change. A few I've heard of stop the interview right then and there. But most, I find... you'll see the fear in their eyes. The concern at being attacked and , at the same time, having something so dangerous working for them." He raised his hands expressively. "That's how so many people see us. Unexploded sweaty gelignite just waiting for the right impact. And it needs to stop. The only way it can stop is if we're seen to be something more than the massive creatures having fisticuffs in the shopping precincts and hurling mountains at each other like the giants of legend. Some of us they look on fondly, of course. As for why now? Why join now?" He shrugged. "Because you know. Because it's no secret from you and maybe that's the start in some way. As I've said, I certainly can't go back to the shop as he may have told people I work there," he continued, gesturing to the shop name on his breast. "I don't want people hurt because of me, via action or inaction. I want to help them where I can. And, possibly, change their minds on us Kaiju - where they need changing, of course."

[Hlaoroo]

"Well... I think he tried stopping it by melting the tyres first..." Ryan admits, "But as I said, my attention was mostly on the hunter I was covering with my taser. Wildfire will know exactly what he did."

~~~~~~~~
"No, the requirement to be deemed fully fit for active service in the defensive branch is that you can run ten miles in disguised form with a full pack on." Lightfoot answers.
"My job for now is to make sure your healthy enough to train for that, so that we know you're not going to collapse in the first mile. And yeah, you should fit in most places. The buildings were all designed with Kaiju in mind. How big are you anyway?"

[DdeeStar]

"No, the requirement to be deemed fully fit for active service in the defensive branch is that you can run ten miles in disguised form with a full pack on." Lightfoot answers.
"My job for now is to make sure your healthy enough to train for that, so that we know you're not going to collapse in the first mile. And yeah, you should fit in most places. The buildings were all designed with Kaiju in mind. How big are you anyway?"

Tigress nods, seemingly sated by the first note, then looks up. How to describe it... She's never measured her height, so her height assumption is always relative to mountains or skyscrapers. "I don't know exactly. I'm really big. Mist is normally at my waist height, and he's average for a Rakshasa. Around us I'm giant."

[CyberDragon]

Mordeci nodded solemnly, "It's sad but one can't expect to walk through the fires of the underworld without being burnt. I wouldn't be surprised if he never recovers..." he then decides to lighten the mood a bit by adding, "As for the van...eh, I'm pretty sure we can buff that out. I mean, you just scratched the paint job on it."

Wildfire laughed. "Yeah, I'm heavier than I look. My doctor suggested I go on a diet. Lay off the knights and castles for a bit." he joked. "All seriousness though, I probably shouldn't have used quite as much strength as I did. My goal was to break the engine, not nail the hood of the car to the ground with my leg."

---------------------------

Julian took the offered seat and thought on his response. "Well," he said after a moment, "I won't lie and say I don't need the money but, yeah, I do have things that, uh, tie into that." He straightened up. "I took the job I have when I could have had better paid ones in vehicle maintenance simply because the same question comes up in every job application, on the form or in the interview. 'Are you a Kaiju?' Lie and you can get dismissed immediately they find out. Tell the truth and see their look change. A few I've heard of stop the interview right then and there. But most, I find... you'll see the fear in their eyes. The concern at being attacked and , at the same time, having something so dangerous working for them." He raised his hands expressively. "That's how so many people see us. Unexploded sweaty gelignite just waiting for the right impact. And it needs to stop. The only way it can stop is if we're seen to be something more than the massive creatures having fisticuffs in the shopping precincts and hurling mountains at each other like the giants of legend. Some of us they look on fondly, of course. As for why now? Why join now?" He shrugged. "Because you know. Because it's no secret from you and maybe that's the start in some way. As I've said, I certainly can't go back to the shop as he may have told people I work there," he continued, gesturing to the shop name on his breast. "I don't want people hurt because of me, via action or inaction. I want to help them where I can. And, possibly, change their minds on us Kaiju - where they need changing, of course."

Heather watched and listened to Julian explain. She was silent for a little while afterwards. Heather sat up straight, and addressed Julian. "Those are some of the best reasons I've heard, honestly. And that is our ultimate mission. We want to eventually create a world where the people no longer live in fear of Kaiju, but rather in peace with Kaiju. That's why we have commission assignments available. Commissions often include things like fire-fighting, construction, demolition, basically whenever somebody needs some really heavy lifting. You Ok with doing that kind of work?"

---------------------------

"Well... I think he tried stopping it by melting the tyres first..." Ryan admits, "But as I said, my attention was mostly on the hunter I was covering with my taser. Wildfire will know exactly what he did."

"Right. I'll ask him then. You said one of the hunters attacked you, and Wildfire blocked the shot. Do you remember what sort of weapon he was using? Is there any further information you can tell us?" he asked.

[SeanWolf]

Wildfire laughed. "Yeah, I'm heavier than I look. My doctor suggested I go on a diet. Lay off the knights and castles for a bit." he joked. "All seriousness though, I probably shouldn't have used quite as much strength as I did. My goal was to break the engine, not nail the hood of the car to the ground with my leg."

"Yeah, that's one thing we both can agree on," Mordecai nodded, "I personally would've just stood out there and grabbed it the second it got in range, preventing it from moving at all and minimizing any potential damage to both the occupants and the child. But you still did a pretty bang up, pun not intended, good job." Directing his focus back at the child again, he walked over to him and got down to his level, "Daniel, is it? May I ask you a question? My friend over there," he pointed back at Wildfire, "Did you enjoy his magic?"

[Hlaoroo]

"I didn't spot it at first. It sounds absurd but... It was his walking stick. He had a gun built into the walking stick. The shaft was the barrel." Ryan answers.
"Other than that I can't really tell you much. I was looking the other way until the shooting started. It was a good thing we had Wildfire there..."

~~~~~~~~
"Hmm. Well, I'm not sure how tall the average Rakshasa is but, I've not yet met a Kaiju that couldn't fit in here. You can try if you want, just through there." Lightfoot invites, gesturing to the door connecting his human/zoomorph-size office to the Kaiju-sized one.

[DdeeStar]

"Hmm. Well, I'm not sure how tall the average Rakshasa is but, I've not yet met a Kaiju that couldn't fit in here. You can try if you want, just through there." Lightfoot invites, gesturing to the door connecting his human/zoomorph-size office to the Kaiju-sized one.

Tigress obliges, stepping into the room and a good ways from the door. She looks up, but with her sight judging distances is a challenge. Especially a distance based on the general idea of how tall she is one week a year. After a moment of pretending she can tell how high it is she shrugs, offering the warning "My shifting's a bit volatile. Keep back." with a moment of hesitation before she begins.

A cruel grin grows. Both handpaws fly up to cover her face as she crouches lightly, looking like she's readying a pounce, when suddenly she drags her claws downward. A pained roar echoes at an unbelievable volume as the energy releases, her stance snapping straight upright and handpaws thrown back. Lightning courses visibly through her coat as fire briefly twirls around her feet along the ground, fading as the energy runs out. The lightning remains strong with the roar for a moment of stagnation, then both cut short in a powerful burst of noise and electricity as she shoots up in size, cracking and tearing sounds audible as her body resizes itself, her hands twisting around to Rakshasa standard.

The result leaves her at over 330 feet tall, standing in her (now thickened) hide and tiger coat which is suddenly far more worn and battle-scarred than her previous. She immediately tries stretching both arms upwards, standing on the front of her feet with a groan as she mutters "Always feels good to get out of that skin." with a sigh.

[Deske]

"Oh man so you've been preparing for this for a while now!" Gregg says as he watches Heather leave. "It's pretty cool that you have such a solid plan in place for your future. You do look a little nervous around her, though. But no second guesses, I'd assume." He lifts an eyebrow as the road echos from the doctors office. "Didn't take her as one for theatrics," he said with a chuckle.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Absolutely," Julain admitted before chuckling slightly, "just been telling the Doctor how the first time the power scared me. Crushing a house in training with the folks years ago. Should have thought about demolition if I weren't anti-violence, shouldn't I?" He flinched and looked around as he heard the roar. "Although I have a feeling others are well suited to it..."

[DdeeStar]

"Oh man so you've been preparing for this for a while now!" Gregg says as he watches Heather leave. "It's pretty cool that you have such a solid plan in place for your future. You do look a little nervous around her, though. But no second guesses, I'd assume." He lifts an eyebrow as the road echos from the doctors office. "Didn't take her as one for theatrics," he said with a chuckle.

Mist starts to respond to the first question with a shamefully averted gaze, but his mother's roar snaps him out of it. (And distracts from the question, thankfully.) He jumps in his seat, rapidly scanning the area before remembering she went with the doctor. A relieved laugh precedes his response of "Well, I wouldn't judge based on that. The roar's part of shifting, at least according to her. She says that Shield-class are supposed to make themselves targets, so their shift is real flashy. Plus if it's like mine it's really painful both ways. But if you see her full active form..." He shrugs and crosses his arms, leaning back in the chair. "It's pretty clear she hates being disguised. She'd rather be Kaiju always."

[Deske]

"Honestly I'm with her there on that front. It's like a nice big stretch whenever you get the chance to shed the disguise. But, I still really do like being Gregg the Tailor on the daily. Just gotta find that balance of good in the fake life to make it all worth it." He lifts an eyebrow, remembering that Mist said it was painful, "Painful?"

[CyberDragon]

"Yeah, that's one thing we both can agree on," Mordecai nodded, "I personally would've just stood out there and grabbed it the second it got in range, preventing it from moving at all and minimizing any potential damage to both the occupants and the child. But you still did a pretty bang up, pun not intended, good job." Directing his focus back at the child again, he walked over to him and got down to his level, "Daniel, is it? May I ask you a question? My friend over there," he pointed back at Wildfire, "Did you enjoy his magic?"

The child was holding the flower Wildfire gave him in his hands, looking at it with a rather blank, somewhat empty expression. When addressed, he looked up, held the plant closer to his chest, and simply nodded without saying anything.

------------------------

"I didn't spot it at first. It sounds absurd but... It was his walking stick. He had a gun built into the walking stick. The shaft was the barrel." Ryan answers.
"Other than that I can't really tell you much. I was looking the other way until the shooting started. It was a good thing we had Wildfire there..."

"Sounds like the tool of an assassin." the captain said. "Hard to detect, easy to sneak around. Also hard to build while keeping it convincing." He was mostly talking to himself at this point, rubbing his chin and thinking about the implications of this weapon. He looked back at Ryan and pulled a card out of his pocket. "Thank you for the information. If you remember anything else, please give me a call. I need to speak with the others."

------------------------

"Absolutely," Julain admitted before chuckling slightly, "just been telling the Doctor how the first time the power scared me. Crushing a house in training with the folks years ago. Should have thought about demolition if I weren't anti-violence, shouldn't I?" He flinched and looked around as he heard the roar. "Although I have a feeling others are well suited to it..."

Heather smirked at Julian's statement regarding the roar. "I think she's going to do fine here. As for you, I wouldn't really consider demolition to be violent, but if you are uncomfortable with that then you could take work with emergency services. Fire season's coming up, and the fire department gets a bet overwhelmed when the air gets dry. A Kaiju can carry a lot more water over to a fire than any firefighting vehicles can." She suggested. "Still though, the primary job of the KDF is to defend the city, state, and country from extrordinary attacks to prevent mass damage. Even if you're just in the reserves part time and mostly focus on commissions, you'll still need to learn how to fight. Are you willing to do that?"

[SeanWolf]

The child was holding the flower Wildfire gave him in his hands, looking at it with a rather blank, somewhat empty expression. When addressed, he looked up, held the plant closer to his chest, and simply nodded without saying anything.

"It was very impressive, I have to say," Mordecai said smiling while noting the child's quietness. He sighed, knowing what the child went through must've damaged him greatly, thus would probably not be responsive for a while, if ever, "Well...you're parents should be arriving soon. They'll be happy to see you again...and also happy you survived your trip through the inferno. Not many people can say they stared down Hades, laughed in his face, and walked out with a smile and a renewed soul. But you did...you became the only living soul to do such a thing. The fact that you are here right now and awaiting the arms of your mother and father...it proves you are stronger then all kaiju combined. Even the Tikbalang." Mordecai softly smiled at the child before standing up and proceeding to walk back to Wildfire.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"As my father would say," Julian quoted, "knowing how to use violence doesn't mean you want to, just that you can. I have some little training in Aikido, nothing official, of course."

[DdeeStar]

"Honestly I'm with her there on that front. It's like a nice big stretch whenever you get the chance to shed the disguise. But, I still really do like being Gregg the Tailor on the daily. Just gotta find that balance of good in the fake life to make it all worth it." He lifts an eyebrow, remembering that Mist said it was painful, "Painful?"

He nods with a shrug. "Yeah. Like every strand of fur being pulled out at once. I guess it wouldn't be as bad for you, huh? All you have is hair, that's not as bad. But you have a pretty unique form, don't you? Maybe it's different."

[Deske]

"Y'know I've never really thought about what it feels like. I guess it's like a nice cool swim on a hot day? Relaxing to an extent." Gregg shrugs, "As for being unique, mean, I'm pretty sure we're all unique to some extent, right?"

[Hlaoroo]

"Sounds like the tool of an assassin." the captain said. "Hard to detect, easy to sneak around. Also hard to build while keeping it convincing." He was mostly talking to himself at this point, rubbing his chin and thinking about the implications of this weapon. He looked back at Ryan and pulled a card out of his pocket. "Thank you for the information. If you remember anything else, please give me a call. I need to speak with the others."

"Will do." Ryan promises, filing the card away in an inside pocket. "And here's my card if you need anything else from me. Oh, by the way, can you pass on a message to the kid's parents or guardians for me, please? Tell them his therapy is paid for, and then tell the therapist to send the bill to me. After what he's been through he and his family are going to have enough on their plates without worrying about money. And I'd like to give them a donation to help with his education too, if they'll accept it."

~~~~~~~~
"Oh my!" Lightfoot breathes, forgetting for a moment to shift. Even full-sized, at just over a hundred and thirty feet talls, the tips of his ears barely reach the rakshasa's navel. The room can hold her though - just, as her ear-tips brush the light fittings dangling from the ceiling.
"Tha' was seriously impressive, tha' was!" he exclaims, slipping slightly into his native dialect in his shock.
"You're definitely one of our tallest Kaiju. I feel like a leveret again next to you!" another of his heads admits.
"Hush, be professional!" scolds the third head.
"Ahem, right, sorry. But yeah, you might have to bend your head a little but you'll definitely fit in pretty much all the Kaiju-sized rooms."
"So... That Shift almost seemed... Painful for you. Did it hurt? Is that normal for you when you Shift?"

[DdeeStar]

"Y'know I've never really thought about what it feels like. I guess it's like a nice cool swim on a hot day? Relaxing to an extent." Gregg shrugs, "As for being unique, mean, I'm pretty sure we're all unique to some extent, right?"

Mist looks interested (if a little confused) in hearing that shifting is pleasant. At the end he shrugs, commenting only "I wouldn't know. All the Kaiju I've ever met are here, plus probably hundreds I don't. If I trust the stories, there's dozens like me off in the woods, but whether it's true and whether the same is true of others..." He trails off, his gaze wandering as his train of thought does. "What makes someone unique?" He mumbles, as if to himself. "Powers? Size? Blood?"

"Oh my!" Lightfoot breathes, forgetting for a moment to shift. Even full-sized, at just over a hundred and thirty feet talls, the tips of his ears barely reach the rakshasa's navel. The room can hold her though - just, as her ear-tips brush the light fittings dangling from the ceiling.

A note of slight annoyance as she lowers her arms from the roof, but nothing grave. Far better than anywhere else she's been. The world has less of a red tint now that she's not cooped up in that miniature body, and a genuine smile paints her face.

"Tha' was seriously impressive, tha' was!" he exclaims, slipping slightly into his native dialect in his shock.
"You're definitely one of our tallest Kaiju. I feel like a leveret again next to you!" another of his heads admits.
"Hush, be professional!" scolds the third head.
"Ahem, right, sorry. But yeah, you might have to bend your head a little but you'll definitely fit in pretty much all the Kaiju-sized rooms."
"So... That Shift almost seemed... Painful for you. Did it hurt? Is that normal for you when you Shift?"

Tigress spends a moment just trying to figure out why there's different voices, the three heads blending into the body to make a vague blob of a life-field (as even with the sharpened fieldsight of her true form her sight is not impressive, even less so at range.) Realizing his visibility and relative size means he's shifted too, she just chalks it up to that and responds to each note she recalls in order. She counts off on her fingers as she tries to keep track of what she's answering. "Thanks, that's still better than anywhere else I've been, and not really, yes." She puts her hand back down, brushing it along her fur giddily. "I hardly feel it. The roar's more of a head rush than anything, but it's easier for my kind to shift when we've got open wounds, so." She gives a nod, still delighted at being normal again.

[CyberDragon]

"It was very impressive, I have to say," Mordecai said smiling while noting the child's quietness. He sighed, knowing what the child went through must've damaged him greatly, thus would probably not be responsive for a while, if ever, "Well...you're parents should be arriving soon. They'll be happy to see you again...and also happy you survived your trip through the inferno. Not many people can say they stared down Hades, laughed in his face, and walked out with a smile and a renewed soul. But you did...you became the only living soul to do such a thing. The fact that you are here right now and awaiting the arms of your mother and father...it proves you are stronger then all kaiju combined. Even the Tikbalang." Mordecai softly smiled at the child before standing up and proceeding to walk back to Wildfire.

The child kept looking at the flower, like he was thinking. He tried to understand what Mordecai was saying, but he was only a child, so his experience with the kinds of things the Tikbalang was saying limited his response to "Hades's funny when he's mad."

Wildfire, realizing what the kid meant, laughed a little. "Do you like Hercules?"

The kid smiled a little and nodded.

"Will do." Ryan promises, filing the card away in an inside pocket. "And here's my card if you need anything else from me. Oh, by the way, can you pass on a message to the kid's parents or guardians for me, please? Tell them his therapy is paid for, and then tell the therapist to send the bill to me. After what he's been through he and his family are going to have enough on their plates without worrying about money. And I'd like to give them a donation to help with his education too, if they'll accept it."

The captain blinked a couple of times. "That's... very generous of you." He said, accepting the card. "I will be sure to pass on the message, and I will contact you if we need any more information." Ahab gave a short nod and stepped away to speak with the officer Ryan had spoken with earlier to see if he had contacted the child's family yet.

It seemed he got the confirmation he was looking for, as he nodded and thanked the officer before walking back to the group of Kaiju. "The parents have been contacted. They're on their way. If you would like to stick around, I'm sure they would love to thank you themselves. In the meantime, I must speak with the others. Particularly Wildfire."

----------------------------------

"As my father would say," Julian quoted, "knowing how to use violence doesn't mean you want to, just that you can. I have some little training in Aikido, nothing official, of course."

"You'll have to be willing to use it if absolutely necessary." Heather reminded him. "Your main job will be civilian evacuation and protection in conflict, but there are Kaiju out there that are simply too dangerous to talk down. The Leviathans of Pacifica and the Living Plagues are known man-eaters and psychopaths respectively. The moment any of them gets to a populated area, people will die. The only way to stop them is to force them to stop. We've tried reasoning with them. It doesn't ever turn out well."

[SeanWolf]

The child kept looking at the flower, like he was thinking. He tried to understand what Mordecai was saying, but he was only a child, so his experience with the kinds of things the Tikbalang was saying limited his response to "Hades's funny when he's mad."

Wildfire, realizing what the kid meant, laughed a little. "Do you like Hercules?"

The kid smiled a little and nodded.

Also realizing he should've kept his wording a bit simpler, he too laughed a little, adding, "Great movie. I saw it when it was in theaters on opening day. I still have the poster for it hanging in my house."

[Deske]

"Ah, well, you got me there. Haven't met anyone else that quite looks like me. I've heard stories and
such, but nothing face to face or even having had a friend meet one." Gregg leaned back in his chair as he too began to ponder the meaning of "Unique" with Mist. "I'd say it's probably a lot of things mixed together. I mean if you wanna reduce it to an individual thing you could do that. But then nobody'd be unique. Gotta take it all together for each person."

[Citrisfur]

"Well no, not really. There aren't a lot of kaiju in this city and there are a lot of bad people that hunt us." Hyper said, stuffing his paws in his jacket pocket as he followed Lyncus. "That's why I don't tell a lot of people. They might be hunters. Even if they aren't they might still dislike kaiju and might make a scene."

"Oh," Lyncus responds simply, silent for a moment. Watching Hyper from the side, she thinks about her next question before speaking. "Shouldn't there be some sort of support group for those pe- for Kaiju? Or some sort of protection? Hunting Kaiju can't be legal, if they look just like regular people, can it?"

[Foxfan2164]

"Well there aren't any specific kaiju defense programs that I know of but the KDF does help protect the city in general which include kaiju." Hyper explains, "They're trained to deal with people like hunters and stuff like that." Hyper reaches the library and opens the door for Lyncus. After he did so he walked in himself. "Uhh where is James?" He asked, looking around the library.

[DdeeStar]

"Ah, well, you got me there. Haven't met anyone else that quite looks like me. I've heard stories and
such, but nothing face to face or even having had a friend meet one." Gregg leaned back in his chair as he too began to ponder the meaning of "Unique" with Mist. "I'd say it's probably a lot of things mixed together. I mean if you wanna reduce it to an individual thing you could do that. But then nobody'd be unique. Gotta take it all together for each person."

"Would it be so bad if no one was unique? If we all liked the same things, did the same activities, had the same skills. Thought the same thoughts." Mist remains a little distant as he speaks to the floor, then snaps out of it with a flush of embarrassment. His head pops up and he halfheartedly answers "No, no, it's those things that make us special, and interesting..." He seems unimpressed with the answer, and he glances at Gregg as if to check for some sign of having been right or wrong.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Ye-es," Julian drawled, "I've passed through towns after they've... visited. Again, fighting defensively I can do. T|he pacifist creed is kind of similar to the Doctoral one. 'Do no harm'. Doesn't mean we stand by and let it happen to others."

[Deske]

"That's definitely an interesting idea. Counter-question though, what's wrong with everyone being unique? What makes everyone being the same a better world than everyone being unique?" Gregg asks, interested in hearing Mist's answer.

[DdeeStar]

"That's definitely an interesting idea. Counter-question though, what's wrong with everyone being unique? What makes everyone being the same a better world than everyone being unique?" Gregg asks, interested in hearing Mist's answer.

Mist looks down, ashamed of his answer. "Well, it's the root of conflict, isn't it? Differences in interests or ideals causes arguments, like everything that's happening between Mister Brand and most of the legislators here. Differences in personality cause people to despise the very idea of a person... which is Mom and basically anyone. Differences in needs or lifestyles are why the Yaksas clan wants this town razed. Natural differences are... what happened earlier. Feelings of inferiority and superiority breed paranoia and distrust. If we all lived an ascetic life, hypothetically we could have a sustainable planet without destroying nature for the purpose of 'bettering our lives'... all we've done is increase lifespans. Happiness in both adults and youth is lower than ever. What good does being different do?" He gives a small sigh, then vigorously shakes his head, looking up with an embarrassed smile. "Though this is a useless discussion and the thought I'm putting into it is a complete waste." He manages to catch himself before he gets too dark, realizing that'd be both mortifying and dangerous-if he depressed himself enough he'd start leaking energy again, and Mr. Gregg definitely wouldn't want to deal with some moody teen. He's still a little surprised Mr. Gregg wants to keep talking with him.

[Deske]

"You're not wrong on some parts. Being different does lead to conflict, but you need to remember that things born of this conflict might be good and they might be bad. Think about this," Gregg smiled, "Happiness may appear down because now we have more to worry about. We just have to spread our emotions over a greater area than a peasant in a medieval village. Things happen around the world and we have nearly instantaneous access to that information. In fact, overall, this is the most peaceful era in history. We wouldn't have progressed past living a nomadic lifestyle if it wasn't a better idea to live in a town than in a collection of huts.. We never would have gone to the Moon if Germany hadn't designed the V2 rocket for use in a war. We wouldn't have the highway system if the president at the time didn't think it would be useful for military movement throughout the country." He leaned forward on his elbows, clearly a little more than excited to have this discussions, "A lot of the stuff we use is almost entirely thanks to some sort of conflict. A lot of differences in ideas are what leads to different cultures. I think the main problem with your line of thought is that you either haven't seen or can't quite see the amount of good that has come from everything. That's not a dig at you, I'm a little more well off when it comes to travelling..." Gregg paused for a second, considering something, "Tell you what, one day, if it's okay with your mom, I'd like to take you sightseeing. If not to show you that differences do much more than increase lifespan, then maybe just to see some cool things you might only have seen in a textbook. Maybe not soon, I mean, you guys don't really know me, but eventually, if we become close enough friends, I'd like to show you that it isn't all doom and gloom." He shrugged and sat back in his chair. "Something to think on I guess."

[CyberDragon]

Also realizing he should've kept his wording a bit simpler, he too laughed a little, adding, "Great movie. I saw it when it was in theaters on opening day. I still have the poster for it hanging in my house."

"Woooow..." The kid's eyes went wide when Mordecai gave that little tidbit of information. "You're old!" He followed up with all the tact expected from a 4 year old.

Wildfire, meanwhile, was trying really hard not to laugh.

-------------------------

"Ye-es," Julian drawled, "I've passed through towns after they've... visited. Again, fighting defensively I can do. T|he pacifist creed is kind of similar to the Doctoral one. 'Do no harm'. Doesn't mean we stand by and let it happen to others."

"I am sorry for whatever you saw." Heather looked down at her folded hands resting on the table. "The Living Plagues are particularly bad. Luckily, they're almost universally weak to fire, so Wildfire is able to keep them at bay most of the time. Most of the time, however, we will be facing angered Kaiju. People who have had enough and shifted out of rage. They can be talked down. Sometimes we'll be dealing with people who have no knowledge or ability to control themselves, and we will have to control them. We rarely have to use potentially lethal force in situations like that."

[SeanWolf]

"Woooow..." The kid's eyes went wide when Mordecai gave that little tidbit of information. "You're old!" He followed up with all the tact expected from a 4 year old.

Wildfire, meanwhile, was trying really hard not to laugh.

"I beg your pardon!" Mordecai gasped in fun before laughing, "Hey, I'll have you know I may be 42 but I'm still a young fella!" However, he soon regretted even saying that as, the moment he turned back around, he immediately walked into the hood of a nearby police car. "Oof!" he grunted as he looked at the kid, who looked to be about ready to lose it in laughter, and then at Wildfire, who equally was about ready to just lose it in laughter, and could only just try to stifle his laughter as well.

[DdeeStar]

"You're not wrong on some parts. Being different does lead to conflict, but you need to remember that things born of this conflict might be good and they might be bad. Think about this," Gregg smiled, "Happiness may appear down because now we have more to worry about. We just have to spread our emotions over a greater area than a peasant in a medieval village. Things happen around the world and we have nearly instantaneous access to that information. In fact, overall, this is the most peaceful era in history. We wouldn't have progressed past living a nomadic lifestyle if it wasn't a better idea to live in a town than in a collection of huts. We never would have gone to the Moon if Germany hadn't designed the V2 rocket for use in a war. We wouldn't have the highway system if the president at the time didn't think it would be useful for military movement throughout the country." He leaned forward on his elbows, clearly a little more than excited to have this discussions, "A lot of the stuff we use is almost entirely thanks to some sort of conflict. A lot of differences in ideas are what leads to different cultures. I think the main problem with your line of thought is that you either haven't seen or can't quite see the amount of good that has come from everything. That's not a dig at you, I'm a little more well off when it comes to travelling..." Gregg paused for a second, considering something, "Tell you what, one day, if it's okay with your mom, I'd like to take you sightseeing. If not to show you that differences do much more than increase lifespan, then maybe just to see some cool things you might only have seen in a textbook. Maybe not soon, I mean, you guys don't really know me, but eventually, if we become close enough friends, I'd like to show you that it isn't all doom and gloom." He shrugged and sat back in his chair. "Something to think on I guess."

Throughout Gregg's notes Mist gradually shifts from his awkwardness to a state of curiosity, interest, and finally a hopeful smile, pulling his hat down against his chest. "I guess... I do take a lot of these things for granted. How I don't have to put all my energy into just staying alive. Loss,-" His gaze begins to stray to the wall behind Gregg, his eyes losing focus. "-is, inevitable. But in the mess of it all, a few shining stars changed the world...

A moment of trailing off before he blinks rapidly, putting his hat back on and once again smiling shily. "I'd really like that. To travel, I mean. With you. And others maybe. Sometime." He presses his palms against his eyes and forces a small laugh. "If it's possible because it sounds like a lot of fun and I think traveling with someone so smart and wise to places that are important would definitely be a really cool and educational experience and probably give this place a better image." He pulls his hands down over his mouth, covering the center of the smile as he waits for an answer. Sure, Mr. Gregg suggested it, but... just to check that he's serious. He wants to be friends. After dealing with Tigress's awful attitude, Mist's attack getting him dragged along, he seems fine with both. "Can I get your number?" Mist asks, quickly pulling it from his vest and unlocking it. "I don't know if we'll have the same training dates or assignments or anything. So just in case. If you don't mind."