Non-HPU: Crater City

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun May 10, 2020 9:53 am

Mordecai thought for a bit, "You said this Jeffrey Mason has a NDA with fifteen females, correct? That leads me to believe he may have been active with them in a certain way, hence the NDA's and hush money to prevent them from coming forth, meaning even if you did hire private investigators, they would still be silent. However, if I'm right with my assumptions, those NDA's may be illegal," he leaned forth from reclining on the seat, "Bill AB 3080 bans confidential agreements regarding harassment and mandatory arbitration agreements in employment contracts while Bill SB 820 prohibits nondisclosure agreements that prevent the “disclosure of factual information” in sexual harassment, assault and discrimination settlements. If that is why Jeffery has those NDA's for those fifteen in place, then said case should, theoretically, be open and shut."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Sun May 10, 2020 1:16 pm

"Fantastic! Shouldn't really conflict with anything and even if it would, I'm pretty sure it's excusable because it's for the military," Gregg says with a clap of his hands. "I guess my last question would be when would training start. So I can get my affairs in order."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sun May 10, 2020 6:26 pm

Deske wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 1:16 pm "Fantastic! Shouldn't really conflict with anything and even if it would, I'm pretty sure it's excusable because it's for the military," Gregg says with a clap of his hands. "I guess my last question would be when would training start. So I can get my affairs in order."

"As early as tomorrow, if you're ready for it." Heather replied. "If not, we can start next weekend."

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

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 6:09 am "Well, uh," Julian said, scritching his neck to try and distract himself from the smile on his face, "I did have to wait until what I, uh, hoped was your lunch hour. And my morning went, um, a bit potty. I got taken to, um, do some work away from the shop but I'll be back in town later...I hope. I'd, um, be open to coffee... uh, meeting up later?"

Traci let out a small laugh. "I'm a little coffee'd out, but I'd love to meet up! I'm open for the rest of the day." She said. "Have you had lunch yet? I was thinking of going to Fredrick's if you'd like to join me!"

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

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 9:27 amRyan nods thoughtfully.
"Mike I can handle. That shouldn't be too difficult. There are two things he loves in life: boasting about his achievements and complaining about politics. I can't hire a PI to look into Jeff though. That could get me into trouble for industrial espionage and cause all kinds of problems... You have a lot of experience dealing with people, Mr. Mayor. Any suggestions?"

Wildfire waved a hand dismissively. "That's fine. If one of us can record him admitting to tax evasion, we can send that to the IRS. He'll be arrested, but his company should be mostly spared. As for Mike..."

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 9:53 am Mordecai thought for a bit, "You said this Jeffrey Mason has a NDA with fifteen females, correct? That leads me to believe he may have been active with them in a certain way, hence the NDA's and hush money to prevent them from coming forth, meaning even if you did hire private investigators, they would still be silent. However, if I'm right with my assumptions, those NDA's may be illegal," he leaned forth from reclining on the seat, "Bill AB 3080 bans confidential agreements regarding harassment and mandatory arbitration agreements in employment contracts while Bill SB 820 prohibits nondisclosure agreements that prevent the “disclosure of factual information” in sexual harassment, assault and discrimination settlements. If that is why Jeffery has those NDA's for those fifteen in place, then said case should, theoretically, be open and shut."

"That's right. In California, it is illegal to try to use an NDA agreement to silence victims of those crimes." Wildfire nodded. "Technically, if that's what those NDA's are about, they're non-enforcable. The problem is convincing those victims to come forward and endure the extremely lengthy and expensive battle against a rich, powerful, well connected man with a PR department and an army of the best lawyers money can hire. Without help, and without the all of the victims being unified and brought in on this, Jeff'll tear them apart and ruin their reputations forever." The dragon sighed a bit of smoke, then apologized for smoking up the interior of the car. He opened a window to air out the interior, then looked over to Ryan again. "That is... unless they had a PR department and a legal team on their side..."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun May 10, 2020 7:55 pm

"That may not be necessary, to a point. See, along with signing the NDAs, the fifteen were also given hush money, as you mentioned. Now, if they were given the hush money before signing the NDA to keep them quiet, then I don't think the victims would be able to prove much in court. However, because they were given the money after signing the NDAs and accepted it, Jeff may have accidentally outed himself. If this was taken to court, the victims could bring up that Jeff had given them the money after signing the NDAs to keep his actions a secret, which will reflect badly on him as it proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that he did indeed did committed such acts. Plus, if they kept records on when Jeff sent them the cash of varying amounts along with any communications from him, then Jeff would be ruined for life," Mordecai explained, waving a bit of the smoke from Wildfire away, "Of course, this is all dependent on if that is the reasoning for the NDAs."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:41 am

"I'd, um, love to," Julian said, swallowing slightly as his heart skipped a beat or two, "but, um, like I say, I'm a bit out of the city right now? I'll be back later so, um... Dinner? You name the place. Not... not too expensive, even though you're, um, worth it? My wallet isn't." He grimaced.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Mon May 11, 2020 6:15 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 9:27 am <"Well, not by heart, but I get by."> Annie grins as she answers Tigress in accented but perfectly understandable Yasal. A kitsune Kaiju herself, one of her powers is a rudimentary understanding of any and all languages. It's one of many skills that makes her invaluable as a nurse.

Both the felines sit there, stunned, for a few beats. Then both react at once. Tigress smoothly moves to her feet, eyes deadened and face turned to a hateful snarl. Her claws are clearly out as she starts to approach Annie. Mist grabs onto her arm and tries to pull her down (ineffectively) as he replies "Mom no stop she's not Yaksas!"

She shoves his grip off easily, growling "They can mess with your thoughts, Mist." She drops swiftly into a combat stance, barely holding herself from a full attack as she continues "Talk now or die."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon May 11, 2020 9:28 am

"Well, that's all the questions from me then. Is there anything else you need during this interview," Gregg asks, relaxing back into the chair.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Tue May 12, 2020 1:26 am

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 7:55 pm "That may not be necessary, to a point. See, along with signing the NDAs, the fifteen were also given hush money, as you mentioned. Now, if they were given the hush money before signing the NDA to keep them quiet, then I don't think the victims would be able to prove much in court. However, because they were given the money after signing the NDAs and accepted it, Jeff may have accidentally outed himself. If this was taken to court, the victims could bring up that Jeff had given them the money after signing the NDAs to keep his actions a secret, which will reflect badly on him as it proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that he did indeed did committed such acts. Plus, if they kept records on when Jeff sent them the cash of varying amounts along with any communications from him, then Jeff would be ruined for life," Mordecai explained, waving a bit of the smoke from Wildfire away, "Of course, this is all dependent on if that is the reasoning for the NDAs."

"That would be true, if the Hush money was separate from the NDA." Wildfire said. "In this case, the money was provided in the process of signing the NDA, and the NDA is sure to include other company secrets. Jeff could claim that the money was in exchange for not revealing company secrets to competitors, rather than an effort to pressure a witness into silence. Either way, we can't do anything unless we can convince those employees to open up about what happened. Best thing to do until then is act casual and be subtle so Jeff doesn't figure out we're investigating him."

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

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 12:41 am "I'd, um, love to," Julian said, swallowing slightly as his heart skipped a beat or two, "but, um, like I say, I'm a bit out of the city right now? I'll be back later so, um... Dinner? You name the place. Not... not too expensive, even though you're, um, worth it? My wallet isn't." He grimaced.

Traci laughed on the phone. "Don't worry about it. I'm a barista. I can't afford fancy food either." The vixen thought for a moment, twirling her hair a bit while thinking. "Oh! Yeah, I have an idea! Dinner sounds great. Do you know how to get to the Southern Gate Beach? There's a sandwich shop there I kinda like, and it's got a great view of the ocean!"

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DdeeStar wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 6:15 amBoth the felines sit there, stunned, for a few beats. Then both react at once. Tigress smoothly moves to her feet, eyes deadened and face turned to a hateful snarl. Her claws are clearly out as she starts to approach Annie. Mist grabs onto her arm and tries to pull her down (ineffectively) as he replies "Mom no stop she's not Yaksas!"

She shoves his grip off easily, growling "They can mess with your thoughts, Mist." She drops swiftly into a combat stance, barely holding herself from a full attack as she continues "Talk now or die."

At that moment, Elder was passing by in the halls carrying the three sleeping hunters on his shoulders when he felt a disturbance in the room. He handed the hunters off to the security forces and opened the door, stepping through.

Tigress would know the moment he stepped through the door that this was a Kaiju that was not to be trifled with, and was not to be angered. His energy, even at rest, was unfathomable. It twisted and meshed inside of him and throughout his body, flowing in and out from who knows where. It was mind-bending, as though the very fabric of reality struggled to cope with it.

Mist would be able to see him as he was visually, but that was little better. Elder had the appearance of an eldritch horror, aptly described by Lovecraft as "A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind." Elder's face of tentacles seemed in perpetual motion, and his whole visage was almost nauseating to behold.

Elder turned it's great black eyes on Tigress with barely any interest, only a slight annoyance at the disturbance he felt.

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

Deske wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 9:28 am "Well, that's all the questions from me then. Is there anything else you need during this interview," Gregg asks, relaxing back into the chair.

Heather pushed a series of papers towards Gregg. "Just have to fill out the formal application and sign the forms, and you should be good. Once that's done, we'll just be waiting on Lightfoot's results."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Tue May 12, 2020 8:05 am

Julian found himself putting a finger up in the air, wondered why it was there, and put if back down again. "I know the one," he said. "I can get there for, say, seven?" He looked over at the growing storm and hoped Tracie would agree as things might be about to get loud and he didn't quite know how to explain them...

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Tue May 12, 2020 8:33 am

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 1:26 am Elder turned it's great black eyes on Tigress with barely any interest, only a slight annoyance at the disturbance he felt.

Her heart stops. The pounding anger replaced immediately by a terrific fear. Something she's never actually experienced... a creature stronger than her. The Shaman had to bend her mind to ensure her cooperation, but this... being in front of her could destroy both of them without breaking a sweat. The amalgamate of energy, something that shouldn't exist... and it sees her... Tigress stumbles backwards, her hands covering her face as she tries to hide herself from the horror. Her breathing accelerates rapidly as she falls to her knees, turning her head down to the floor, the solid, tangible floor as she gasps for air. All her aggression and bravado have vanished as she shivers silently, paralyzed by fear.

Mist recoils immediately from seeing Elder appear, his attention turning to his mother to avoid looking at it, but... seeing her in this state forces his hand. Ears back and trembling himself he faces the abomination, voice failing as he tries to cry out. "STOP! YOU'RE HURTING HER!" It comes out as a forced, raspy whisper as he can't fake his way past the fear. It had been a fun joke to see it as Cthulu earlier, but now it's right in front of him. And it's bringing the strongest Kaiju he knows to her knees with a glance. He can only imagine the horrible images that must be flashing through her mind.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Tue May 12, 2020 9:20 pm

<"It's okay. I'm a kitsune Kaiju and one of my powers is the command of languages. I'm definitely not Yaksas. I mean you no harm."> Annie explains, staying calm and keeping her voice even.

The fox isn't surprised at the reaction to meeting Elder first time, but unlike most, she's one of the few Kaiju who are completely comfortable around him.
"Hi, Elder! Calm down, Tigress. He's on our side. He won't hurt you either. His heart is the biggest of all the Kaiju here." she soothes in English before repeating herself in Yasal, just in case.

~~~~~~~~
"Do we even know who those employees are? If they've signed NDAs they're not exactly out in the open about- Whoa!"
Ryan is interrupted by his seatbelt slamming into his chest as the limo's brakes and tires squeal in protestation of the blast of the horn. A moment later the partition between the driver and passengers opens.
"My apologies, sirs. Another driver ran the stop sign and cut me off. Are you all okay?"

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Wed May 13, 2020 3:29 am

"Right then," he says and he begins quickly filling out the forms. It's going fairly smoothly before he stops abruptly at a section labeled 'Next of Kin'. "So, who am I allowed to put here? Does it have to be family or can it just be someone I know? Or do I have to put anyone in the first place?"

Post by **SeanWolf** » Wed May 13, 2020 7:21 am

Mordecai rubbed his stomach a bit, assuring Ryan and the driver he was OK, "Just got the wind knocked out of me."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Wed May 13, 2020 7:33 pm

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 9:20 pm <"It's okay. I'm a kitsune Kaiju and one of my powers is the command of languages. I'm definitely not Yaksas. I mean you no harm."> Annie explains, staying calm and keeping her voice even.

The fox isn't surprised at the reaction to meeting Elder first time, but unlike most, she's one of the few Kaiju who are completely comfortable around him.
"Hi, Elder! Calm down, Tigress. He's on our side. He won't hurt you either. His heart is the biggest of all the Kaiju here." she soothes in English before repeating herself in Yasal, just in case.

Mist's fear rapidly calms with Annie's response and bravery in front of the... person? Kaiju? It's hard to tell what they are, or... were. Mist ends up considering this silently for a moment, frozen in his own scared response before gradually sitting normally and swiveling his ears back in place, the hat twitching. Feebly he replies "Is that literal?" and gives a pair of awkward laughs. Still visibly unnerved he turns to his mother again, looking concerned.

Her response is an attempt at a growl to regain some semblance of power, coming out as a soft groan as she tries to steady her breathing. A breath in, a pause, a breath out. A breath in, a pause, a breath out. She doesn't look up or remove her hands, just looking at the floor as the tension starts to fade from her muscles. Her speech is jagged, continuing the breath exercise. "How... - much... - real? - All... - colors... - how."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Wed May 13, 2020 10:37 pm

Deske wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 3:29 am "Right then," he says and he begins quickly filling out the forms. It's going fairly smoothly before he stops abruptly at a section labeled 'Next of Kin'. "So, who am I allowed to put here? Does it have to be family or can it just be someone I know? Or do I have to put anyone in the first place?"

"Your Emergency Contact can be someone you know, but your Next of Kin is specifically family. The order goes Spouse, Children, Parents, Siblings, Grandkids, Grandparents, Neices and Nephews, Aunts and Uncles, and so on. If you don't know any of your family, you can list N/A." Heather informed.

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

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 8:05 am Julian found himself putting a finger up in the air, wondered why it was there, and put if back down again. "I know the one," he said. "I can get there for, say, seven?" He looked over at the growing storm and hoped Tracie would agree as things might be about to get loud and he didn't quite know how to explain them...

"Sounds good! I'll see you then!" Traci said. "Should be quite the sunset around then!"

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

Elder looked back and forth between the people in the room, though his eyes continued to be drawn back to Tigress. A low rumbling reverberated throughout the room, followed by a soft, eerie ringing. Elder turned it's eyes to the floor in front of Tigress's face, and a strange force started etching lines in the floor before Tigress's eyes. Energy, invisible to all but Tigress, whipped and lashed from Elder's uncountable tendrils to slash and carve at the ground, leaving behind a sort of energy residue on the ground as letters formed into a single word.

"Behave."

Elder turned, opened the door once more, and left the room with the carving still on the floor.

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

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 9:20 pm"Do we even know who those employees are? If they've signed NDAs they're not exactly out in the open about- Whoa!"
Ryan is interrupted by his seatbelt slamming into his chest as the limo's brakes and tires squeal in protestation of the blast of the horn. A moment later the partition between the driver and passengers opens.
"My apologies, sirs. Another driver ran the stop sign and cut me off. Are you all okay?"

Wildfire had been sitting closer to the front of the limo, facing backwards. When the car suddenly stopped, his head lashed backwards and caused his horns to jam straight into the partition, leaving two decent-sized holes. Once he got his head free, he surveyed the damage. "I'm fine... Sorry about the partition..." He said, a bit sheepishly.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Thu May 14, 2020 12:44 pm

"Well," Julian replied, "it will be if you're in it." He grimaced. "Yeesh, I, uh, really just said that, didn't I? I'll be there with bells on. So you'll probably hear me coming. See you then, Traci." After waiting for her reply, he hung up and hurried over to the others. "What's happening," he asked Mist.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Thu May 14, 2020 9:39 pm

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:37 pm "Behave."

Elder turned, opened the door once more, and left the room with the carving still on the floor.

The mighty feline warrior doesn't move, doesn't blink, doesn't breathe until the carving is done and the tentacled being gone. Her eyes remain locked fearfully on the energy signature throughout, the careful strokes and shaping showing a level of mastery beyond any Creator she's seen. Then, as soon as he's gone, everything goes off at once. Her fur stands on end and she wildly kicks and drags at the floor, her claws dragging roughly as she propels herself away from the sign. She spins to hit her back against the wall with a loud thud, pressing herself against it as she sits on the ground. Her eyes turn to Annie as the remaining representative to beg in a loud, raspy whisper "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll behave. I'll be good. Just get out of my head. Make it stop." There's no force behind the words and at the end she shuts her eyes tightly and turns her head against the wall, the energy still within her senses. She can't push herself further away without going through the wall.

As soon as Elder began to draw Mist's tail puffs visibly, the youth tensing uncomfortably. He looks around quickly, trying to identify the source or reason, but his sense of energy only extends to a general unease around manipulation - like that before him, invisible. He flicks his tail to his chest and crosses his arms over it, gritting his teeth under a frown as he watches the incomprehensible being leave.

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 12:44 pm "What's happening," he asked Mist.

As Julian passes near the raw energy signature a small section swirls and grips his clothes, attracted to his Aura. As such, Julian's approach only further disturbs Mist's underdeveloped fieldsense and he automatically leans away from Julian once he arrives. With a quick shake of his head to force some imitated clarity he looks up at Julian, concerned, and whispers "Mom was making a joke about Miss Annie not knowing Yasal and then she did know Yasal and Mom freaked out - probably because she thought Miss Annie was an infiltrator like her - and she immediately threatened her and then that guy - or girl or other I can't even tell - came in and Mom freaked out again and now she's scared and something is in the air and it's worse when you came over and I don't like it it feels wrong and my tail is puffing up like it does when my energy is too high and I'm going to hurt someone-" Mist takes a long, deep breath, the previous sentence spoken as one rapid run-on as he stares Julian in the eyes. Panic built as he was talking, realizing how little how knows, and the fear starts to show in his eyes. "- it feels wrong and I don't know what he did to her but don't touch her she'll freak out and hurt you too just have to wait and hope she figures out what's going on because I don't know." He pulls his legs up, tucking them against his crossed arms and laying his forehead against his knees so he faces his crossed arms and lap, adding a frustrated groan. "Sorry Miss Annie. At least there won't be any surprises when - if we're picked."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Fri May 15, 2020 12:03 am

Julian brought himself down to eye level - or where he assumed eye level was as he couldn't actually see Mists eyes - and thought. "Good job I didn't ask your mom then, eh?" He sighed. "I can sit a bit away if you like but, can you do something for me? Try and relax. The best way to calm her now might be to show her you're calm, Mist. Can... can you tell me something funny? A story? A joke? I know it's hard but... but humour can sometimes beat fear, I hear." So saying, he took one of the seats further away from Tigress.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Fri May 15, 2020 3:30 am

"Hmm," Gregg says before he scribbles down the name of one of his friends in the emergency contact field and jotting down an 'N/A' under next of kin. The rest of the form filling goes without a hitch. Once he's done he lines the papers up and holds them back out to Heather. "This isn't going to be like a regular interview is it, where I'm going to get a call in a couple days saying that someone else already got the job," he says, mostly joking.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Sat May 16, 2020 9:48 am

"It's okay, Mist. It's good that we've found this out because now we can help." Annie tells the cub before turning back to the Rakshasi.
"Tigress? Can you hear me, Tigress?" she asks gently, squatting carefully near the huddled figure.

~~~~~~~~
"It's fine, Wildfire. We can easily replace it. Are you sure you're okay? You must have a headache now." Ryan answers, sniffing carefully for the scent of blood.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sat May 16, 2020 7:33 pm

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 12:44 pm "Well," Julian replied, "it will be if you're in it." He grimaced. "Yeesh, I, uh, really just said that, didn't I? I'll be there with bells on. So you'll probably hear me coming. See you then, Traci." After waiting for her reply, he hung up and hurried over to the others. "What's happening," he asked Mist.

Traci laughed at his line and his reaction. "You're fun! I'll see you there~" she said, then hung up.

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

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 9:48 am"It's fine, Wildfire. We can easily replace it. Are you sure you're okay? You must have a headache now." Ryan answers, sniffing carefully for the scent of blood.

"Nah." Wildfire said, rubbing the fiery hair on the back of his head. "My scales are like tank armor. My skin's like graphene, and my skull's sturdier than reinforced concrete. I'm a dragon. I don't get hurt easily."

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

Deske wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:30 am "Hmm," Gregg says before he scribbles down the name of one of his friends in the emergency contact field and jotting down an 'N/A' under next of kin. The rest of the form filling goes without a hitch. Once he's done he lines the papers up and holds them back out to Heather. "This isn't going to be like a regular interview is it, where I'm going to get a call in a couple days saying that someone else already got the job," he says, mostly joking.

"You say that like we've got applications flooding our inboxes." Heather joked back. "Four recruits in one day is almost unheard of. It might take time to get you all partners... Ah..." Heather smacked herself in the forehead, realizing her mistake. "There is one thing I forgot to mention. All Kaiju members of the KDF are paired with a non-Kaiju recruit. The two of you work together as a team. Are you willing to work together with a non-Kaiju partner?"

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sat May 16, 2020 7:39 pm

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 7:33 pm "Nah." Wildfire said, rubbing the fiery hair on the back of his head. "My scales are like tank armor. My skin's like graphene, and my skull's sturdier than reinforced concrete. I'm a dragon. I don't get hurt easily."

"Can't say the same about the window," Mordecai pointed with a chuckle, "At least it fared better then that van!"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sat May 16, 2020 9:03 pm

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 12:03 am Julian brought himself down to eye level - or where he assumed eye level was as he couldn't actually see Mists eyes - and thought. "Good job I didn't ask your mom then, eh?" He sighed. "I can sit a bit away if you like but, can you do something for me? Try and relax. The best way to calm her now might be to show her you're calm, Mist. Can... can you tell me something funny? A story? A joke? I know it's hard but... but humour can sometimes beat fear, I hear." So saying, he took one of the seats further away from Tigress.

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 9:48 am "It's okay, Mist. It's good that we've found this out because now we can help." Annie tells the cub before turning back to the Rakshasi.

Mist pulls his head up, opening his arms to pull his legs against his chest as he mumbles. "I'm fine, sit. It'll wear off. Probably. Just... gah, I don't feel like doing this. It's not even fear. I'm just so tired of this. Tired of being afraid and worried and this is the third. time. today. At least. I think I'm mad, actually. I'm not really sure what at though. No one is wrong here." He focuses on his tail for a moment, glaring. "Except that."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 9:48 am "Tigress? Can you hear me, Tigress?" she asks gently, squatting carefully near the huddled figure.

Tigress looks more alarmed at Annie's approach than before, but she doesn't dare to growl or shout. She simply starts to breathe faster, claws scraping at the floor as she tries to back further into the wall. Her voice is frightened but controlled as she shivers fearfully, wide eyes watching the energy move closer as it grabs Annie's Aura as well. "Stop, please. Please. Stay back. I'm behaving. It's not fair. Please."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sun May 17, 2020 3:37 am

"Mist," Julian offered, "If you want a hug from someone you met today, just come over here and I'll give you one. Fear's part of the emotional coin, my friend. We learn as much from how we deal with it as we do from how we deal with the better things. Essentially, I ran from the things that scared me when I was your age. You're standing to confront them. Makes you stronger than me, eh?" He wondered if the offer could be taken 'the wrong way' but, as the Nurse and Tigress were there, it was safe to offer.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Mon May 18, 2020 8:55 am

Annie stops immediately when instructed but she doesn't back off.
"What is it, Tigress? What are you seeing that I can't?" she asks quietly.
~~~~~~~~
Hearing the commotion, Lightfoot slips his helmet back on and quietly opens the door to his consult room to see if there's anything he can do to help the situation.

~~~~~~~~
"Yeah but a brain can bounce around in even the most solid skull." Ryan points out as the car moves on again.
"Buuuut I suppose at least you didn't hit something you use much, right?" he teases playfully.
"So, yeah, so... Do we at least know who's signed those NDAs? That would give us something to go on, at least. We could see what links we can find between those people, aside from just being colleagues. Like, have they worked on the same project? Or have they all been close to Jeff?"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Mon May 18, 2020 1:40 pm

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Sun May 17, 2020 3:37 am "Mist," Julian offered, "If you want a hug from someone you met today, just come over here and I'll give you one. Fear's part of the emotional coin, my friend. We learn as much from how we deal with it as we do from how we deal with the better things. Essentially, I ran from the things that scared me when I was your age. You're standing to confront them. Makes you stronger than me, eh?" He wondered if the offer could be taken 'the wrong way' but, as the Nurse and Tigress were there, it was safe to offer.

Mist looks up at Julian, silent. A moment passes before he shakes his head and lays it on his knees, eyes half-shut with a small frown. "I'm fine. There's nowhere to run anyway. Might as well sit and watch the fireworks."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 8:55 am Annie stops immediately when instructed but she doesn't back off.
"What is it, Tigress? What are you seeing that I can't?" she asks quietly.

Tigress calms somewhat as the approach stops. "The warning. It's touched you. You're stable. It only clings. It doesn't sink in." She slowly brings a hand over to gesture to the rest of the BEHAVE sign, then nods at Annie. "It seeps through my hide. Turns colors brighter, sounds louder, tastes sharper. A moment of madness. Far from behaving."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon May 18, 2020 2:43 pm

"Not too sure the Colonel'll appreciate indoor detonations, Mist," Julian mentioned, "just let me know if I can help, yeah?" He sat back and did his best to relax.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon May 18, 2020 3:17 pm

"Shouldn't be a problem. I like to think I'm good enough at working on a team to not cause problems, even if my day to day job is mostly a solo endeavor," Gregg replied. "What's the pairing process like? Trial and error or do you hand out questionnaires?"

Post by **CyberDragon** » Mon May 18, 2020 5:36 pm

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 7:39 pm"Can't say the same about the window," Mordecai pointed with a chuckle, "At least it fared better then that van!"

"You know, one of these days I'll be able to go out without trashing someone's car." Wildfire laughed sheepishly. "I still owe Heather a truck. I promised her I'd look for one this weekend."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 8:55 am"Yeah but a brain can bounce around in even the most solid skull." Ryan points out as the car moves on again.
"Buuuut I suppose at least you didn't hit something you use much, right?" he teases playfully.
"So, yeah, so... Do we at least know who's signed those NDAs? That would give us something to go on, at least. We could see what links we can find between those people, aside from just being colleagues. Like, have they worked on the same project? Or have they all been close to Jeff?"

"My brain's the size of a house. I don't think a sudden movement of half a foot will hurt it." Wildfire commented. "As for the NDAs, I know of a couple of them. I've got quite a few contacts in both government and business. As though there were a difference between the two... If we get them to come forward and a judge to rule their NDAs are not legally enforceable, the others may come forward on their own. Especially if we could somehow protect them from the inevitable backlash."

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

Deske wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 3:17 pm "Shouldn't be a problem. I like to think I'm good enough at working on a team to not cause problems, even if my day to day job is mostly a solo endeavor," Gregg replied. "What's the pairing process like? Trial and error or do you hand out questionnaires?"

"It's a bit of both." Heather said, stepping over to the door and leading Gregg back out. "We do have personality assessments and preference questionnaires in order to narrow things down, but inevitably we won't know who works well together until they've worked together. So we start with the best fit based on the assessments, then adjust as needed."

DdeeStar wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 1:40 pmTigress and Mist freak out over Elder[/color]

Heather opened the door to the waiting room the others were sitting in. "We try to..." She paused and looked around, particularly at Mist and Tigress. Heather was surprised to see Tigress in such a panicked state. "What happened?!" She asked before rather quickly noticing the still glowing scratches on the floor. A look of realization dawned on her face. "Ah... I see Tigress met Elder. I assume she's never met an elder Kaiju before."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Mon May 18, 2020 5:45 pm

"Note to self: Do not let Wildfire drive the '77 Trans Am," Mordecai mumbled as Wildfire brought up about the NDA's and employees, before a thought suddenly came to him. "Say, Wildfire? Does one of the employees under Jeff's NDA happen to have the name of Lisa Marcinko?"

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Tue May 19, 2020 9:33 am

"All right. Sounds like you're ideally placed to get the ball rolling on that investigation then, Wildfire. Eh, kinda feels I'm dumping it all in your lap though. I've got the easy one." Ryan grimaces before looking at the mayor, curious as to what the horse-demon is thinking.

~~~~~~~~
<"And why do you think it sinks into you and not me?"> the kitsune asks curiously, switching back into Yasal with the rakshasi.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Tue May 19, 2020 10:03 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 2:43 pm "Not too sure the Colonel'll appreciate indoor detonations, Mist," Julian mentioned, "just let me know if I can help, yeah?" He sat back and did his best to relax.

Mist gives a noncommital mumbling, no real response.

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 5:36 pm Heather opened the door to the waiting room the others were sitting in. "We try to..." She paused and looked around, particularly at Mist and Tigress. Heather was surprised to see Tigress in such a panicked state. "What happened?!" She asked before rather quickly noticing the still glowing scratches on the floor. A look of realization dawned on her face. "Ah... I see Tigress met Elder. I assume she's never met an elder Kaiju before."

Mist looks pointedly at the puffed tail he holds against his chest, then back at Heather. His voice has a hint of annoyance to it, his unamused look strange on the constantly smiling youth. "Mom's never even met all the Yaksas, so yeah, that seems like a fair assessment. Great first impression all around." His eyelids hang half-closed as if tired, his next line spoken into the air rather than at a specific person. "Stellar omen. Manage to get her to sign and then this."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 9:33 am <"And why do you think it sinks into you and not me?"> the kitsune asks curiously, switching back into Yasal with the rakshasi.

Tigress's breathing continues to calm, albeit slowly, as she talks to Annie and sees the energy continue to dissipate harmlessly. "Shields absorb. Energy. Shields absorb energy. No resistance. Good for - The power is good for elements. It's bad against Ruin. We're weak against Life. Our health drains quickly, and our thoughts are bent easily." She shakes her head quickly, as if trying to throw something off, then looks back at Annie.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Tue May 19, 2020 1:35 pm

"Sounds good to me," Gregg says, stepping through the door after Heather and, subsequently, also being rendered speechless by the scene spread before him. He glanced between Mist and Tigress, wondering what fresh new world he's gotten himself into by giving the kid his contact info. "I'm not gonna lie, I didn't know there was such a thing as an Elder Kaiju."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:35 pm

"Heya, Gregg," Julian said, looking over to his friend. "Yeah, he was quite something. Careful where you tred, there's still energy around somewhere." He sat up properly. "So, become a secret Agent? Licence to stitch?"

Post by **CyberDragon** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:18 pm

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 5:45 pm "Note to self: Do not let Wildfire drive the '77 Trans Am," Mordecai mumbled as Wildfire brought up about the NDA's and employees, before a thought suddenly came to him. "Say, Wildfire? Does one of the employees under Jeff's NDA happen to have the name of Lisa Marcinko?"

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 9:33 am "All right. Sounds like you're ideally placed to get the ball rolling on that investigation then, Wildfire. Eh, kinda feels I'm dumping it all in your lap though. I've got the easy one." Ryan grimaces before looking at the mayor, curious as to what the horse-demon is thinking.

"Your part will come later, Ryan. We'll need your resources when the time comes to actually take him to court." Wildfire commented. He turned his attention to Mordecai. "I can't tell you who the employees are. It wouldn't be appropriate to do so before they're ready to come public themselves. As a matter of interest, though, why do you ask about Lisa Marcinko?"

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

DdeeStar wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 10:03 amMist looks pointedly at the puffed tail he holds against his chest, then back at Heather. His voice has a hint of annoyance to it, his unamused look strange on the constantly smiling youth. "Mom's never even met all the Yaksas, so yeah, that seems like a fair assessment. Great first impression all around." His eyelids hang half-closed as if tired, his next line spoken into the air rather than at a specific person. "Stellar omen. Manage to get her to sign and then this."

Heather shook her head. "I didn't think Cthulhu would be back so soon, or that he'd come to this room. Though this reaction is to be expected. Your mother I assume can see energy fields? Elder's got energy to spare."

Deske wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 1:35 pm "Sounds good to me," Gregg says, stepping through the door after Heather and, subsequently, also being rendered speechless by the scene spread before him. He glanced between Mist and Tigress, wondering what fresh new world he's gotten himself into by giving the kid his contact info. "I'm not gonna lie, I didn't know there was such a thing as an Elder Kaiju."

"There are about five different classifications of Kaiju. Xenoform, Legend, Colossi, Leviathan, and Elder." Heather explained. "Elder Kaiju are characterized by being thousands of years old and by being the most powerful Kaiju in the world. The older they are, generally the stronger they are. Elder, also known as Cthulhu, is older than most human civilization. As such, they're more powerful than pretty much all other Kaiju combined. It's no real wonder Tigress reacted badly to seeing that much energy."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:30 pm

"Energy... Right," Gregg said, looking at Julian before eyeing the ground suspiciously. "Maybe, dunno if I'm Bond material, but I can make bodybags." He searched the ground for any wayward energy signatures, despite not knowing what he was looking for, as he spoke to Heather, "So is there just no upper limit on how old Kaiju can be or just certain ones can be really old? I don't know how fond I am of the idea of constantly outliving all my friends..."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:36 pm

"It's not everyone." Heather clarified, shaking her head. "Elder Kaiju are a specific type of Kaiju, and have other differences like a lack of a fully disguised form. They're something like a subspecies."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:44 pm

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 3:18 pm "Your part will come later, Ryan. We'll need your resources when the time comes to actually take him to court." Wildfire commented. He turned his attention to Mordecai. "I can't tell you who the employees are. It wouldn't be appropriate to do so before they're ready to come public themselves. As a matter of interest, though, why do you ask about Lisa Marcinko?"

"Well, her mother, Colleen Marcinko? She actually lives in Thunder Bay and works for me and is a great friend of mine. She always talks about her daughter Lisa and showers praises on her, saying she is very proud of her and they always chat after her classes are over at college, before and after work," Mordecai replied before making a small grin, "Lisa only graduated school last year. She doesn't turn 18 until much later this year, meaning that NDA she signed under Jeff is illegal."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Wed May 20, 2020 9:02 am

Annie quickly realises that the talking is distracting and calming Tigress and fortunately, the fox is a natural-born conversationalist.
<"That's very interesting. Is it a passive shield or something you actively control?"> she asks in the same calm voice, still speaking Yasal.

~~~~~~~~
Lightfoot steps forward, making sure to approach from the front so Mist can see him, and gently puts what he hopes is a comforting paw on the cat's shoulder.
"Hey, it's not the end of the road. Even if she can't fight in the front line, there are still loads of ways you both can help the KDF. And you'd be surprised what we can do for mental health these days. I've seen Kaiju in worse states than her."

~~~~~~~~
"Resources I have in abundance and will place at your disposal." Ryan promises before listening attentively to the mayor.
"Oh wow. That could blow this wide open, assuming she's one of the signatories!"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Wed May 20, 2020 1:11 pm

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 9:02 am Annie quickly realises that the talking is distracting and calming Tigress and fortunately, the fox is a natural-born conversationalist.
<"That's very interesting. Is it a passive shield or something you actively control?"> she asks in the same calm voice, still speaking Yasal.

Tigress's breathing has steadied, relaxing from the wall. Her eyes lock onto the etched energy, watching it warily but mostly recovered. A moment of silence manifests before she pushes herself to continue speaking. "No... Shield is a class, my class. How I use energy. Not an actual shield - almost the opposite. I have large pools. It takes nearly impossible energy to hurt me. Though it stacks quickly. Raw energy fills any pool - normally Life. It accelerates what is happening. Like a very powerful sugar rush."" She grimaces at the word as though it were making fun of her.

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 3:18 pm Heather shook her head. "I didn't think Cthulhu would be back so soon, or that he'd come to this room. Though this reaction is to be expected. Your mother I assume can see energy fields? Elder's got energy to spare."

Mist nods, pushing his legs into a crossed sitting position on the chair and resting his hands in his lap. His response is somewhat lax, the commotion in the room causing his ears to flick back under the hat. "Yeah, Mom's blind if I remember how fieldsight works right. She sees empty space as naturally expressed Celestial or Shadow energy, living things as Life, electronics as Power, so on. Dark spots are things like cement that just block all energy. Also why she runs into glass doors a lot." The boy shrugs, no particular emotion clear.

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 9:02 am Lightfoot steps forward, making sure to approach from the front so Mist can see him, and gently puts what he hopes is a comforting paw on the cat's shoulder.
"Hey, it's not the end of the road. Even if she can't fight in the front line, there are still loads of ways you both can help the KDF. And you'd be surprised what we can do for mental health these days. I've seen Kaiju in worse states than her."

Mist's attention flicks fully to Lightfoot in the last step, tensing briefly under his contact. He only glances at the doctor's face before returning to the scene of the others with a noncommittal shrug. "I feel bad for you then. You'll have your work cut out for you at this rate. Can't even get through an interview." He shakes his head, a small hint of annoyance showing on the forced bored expression. "Just the - " He stops himself, giving a quiet, exasperated growl. "Whatever. It's fine, just help end that mess. Please."