Non-HPU: Crater City

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon May 04, 2020 4:08 pm

Gregg smiled warmly at Mist. "Here's hoping," he said as he stood up and started for the door.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Mon May 04, 2020 11:49 pm

SeanWolf wrote:Mordecai watched the happy reunion for a bit, "Sounds like a good idea," he then smiled then turned his attention to Ryan, "You said earlier you wouldn't mind allowing me the usage of your guest room. Is the offer still on the table?"

Hlaoroo wrote: "Sure. You wanna come back to my place for a drink, Wildfire?" the otter invites, after briefly checking to make sure the cops have cleared them to leave.

"Of course!" Wildfire said with a smile. "I'm always up for a visit. As long as you've got some soft drinks. Again, I don't want to be belching up fireballs."

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

Deske wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 4:08 pm Gregg smiled warmly at Mist. "Here's hoping," he said as he stood up and started for the door.

Heather nodded and showed Gregg to the room she had just interviewed Julian in. She opened the door, ushered him inside, then closed it and took a seat. "So, what about the KDF interests you? What is it you're looking to get out of joining?" She asked, getting straight to the questions.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Tue May 05, 2020 3:47 am

DdeeStar wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 1:37 pm Tigress sits peaceably, examining her right claws as the doctor draws her blood. She gives no reaction to being swabbed or further actions, only looking up at him as he offers her the confectionary. Merely looking unamused by the offer she stands, tapping the tourniquet. "No. Are you taking this or should I throw it out?"

Lightfoot's eyes go wide as he sees the tourniquet he'd loosened but not removed.
"Oh, no, sorry, I'll take that back." he answers, removing it.
"Heh, sorry about that. Must be time for my coffee break." he apologises again, awkwardly.
"Well, then. I think we're done for today, unless there was anything else you wanted to talk about?" he says, heading towards the door to the waiting room.

~~~~~~~~
"Aww, but your fireballs are so pretty!" Ryan grins as he leads his friends to the waiting limo.
"But sure, I think I can find you some soda." he acquiesces as the driver, with the engine already running, opens the door for the small group.
"I suppose we ought to let the Colonel know that everything is under control, although I'm sure Elder will report in anyway. Had you met him before, Wildfire? He's really something,isn't he?"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Tue May 05, 2020 6:16 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 3:47 am Lightfoot's eyes go wide as he sees the tourniquet he'd loosened but not removed.
"Oh, no, sorry, I'll take that back." he answers, removing it.
"Heh, sorry about that. Must be time for my coffee break." he apologises again, awkwardly.
"Well, then. I think we're done for today, unless there was anything else you wanted to talk about?" he says, heading towards the door to the waiting room.

In what seems to be an odd moment of empathy, Tigress replies "You're fine. Been a crazy day. A little humor won't hurt anyone." She maneuvers her arm the rest of the way out as he pulls the tourniquet off, tensing it briefly and watching the field's slight imbalance return to normal. "That should be it, at least until I get myself into one of those sparring matches." A challenging grin rises. "Anyway, good job and all Doc. Do I pay here or at the desk?" She asks, stopping near the door.

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 3:15 pm "Hmmm," Julian mused, "Change of topic, change of topic... Ah," he added, putting a finger in the air. "Do you have a favourite Ice Cream? I'm a 'Raspberry Pavlova dessert' Ice cream fan."

Mist silently judges how exactly to respond, his ears falling back. "Oh, uh... Vanilla, I suppose. I've no clue what a Pavlova is..." The line trails off as he starts to fidget with his cape again.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Tue May 05, 2020 7:24 am

Julian laughed. "Vanilla's good but I'm sure I can introduce you to other flavours over time. After all," he continued, "people will invite you to eat with them from time to time. You need to know what you don't like, yeah?" He sat down, feeling his phone and remembering he had to call a certain someone. "Well, if not Ice cream, what would you like to discuss?"

Post by **SeanWolf** » Tue May 05, 2020 8:02 am

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 11:49 pm "Of course!" Wildfire said with a smile. "I'm always up for a visit. As long as you've got some soft drinks. Again, I don't want to be belching up fireballs."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 3:47 am "Aww, but your fireballs are so pretty!" Ryan grins as he leads his friends to the waiting limo.
"But sure, I think I can find you some soda." he acquiesces as the driver, with the engine already running, opens the door for the small group.
"I suppose we ought to let the Colonel know that everything is under control, although I'm sure Elder will report in anyway. Had you met him before, Wildfire? He's really something,isn't he?"

As Ryan and Wildfire were chatting, Mordecai had a small chuckle over the fireball comment while getting into the limo, adding, "Well, here's hoping you don't launch fireballs in the sky at my BBQ this weekend! Ryan's dad is bringing some sauce that has one heck of a kick to it!"

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Tue May 05, 2020 5:01 pm

Gregg entered the interview room and took the seat that was implied to be his. "Honestly, I really just want a place to be me without having to round up some friends for a 'camping trip' once a year or so. Even if I have to help build it myself I guess." Gregg shrugged, "Maybe I'll do some community service, help knock down some of the stigma; help accelerate some legislation or something." He leans back in the chair, shifting to a more comfortable position. "Crater City is one of the most progressive places for us, so I figure it'd be easier to start here and show it works than to try and build it from nothing, with no precedent, somewhere else."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Tue May 05, 2020 11:16 pm

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 3:47 am"Aww, but your fireballs are so pretty!" Ryan grins as he leads his friends to the waiting limo.
"But sure, I think I can find you some soda." he acquiesces as the driver, with the engine already running, opens the door for the small group.
"I suppose we ought to let the Colonel know that everything is under control, although I'm sure Elder will report in anyway. Had you met him before, Wildfire? He's really something,isn't he?"

"He is." Wildfire shuddered and nodded. "He's the oldest and most powerful member of the KDF. He can't talk, so it's tough to ask him, but we think he's a few thousand years old. He's older than Pestilence. He can disrupt reality and enthrall minds at will. Just glad he's on our side." he said, hesitantly. "At least... as much as he can be on anyone's side. Mostly he just likes to sleep, and decided here was most peaceful. So he helps defend it."

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 8:02 amAs Ryan and Wildfire were chatting, Mordecai had a small chuckle over the fireball comment while getting into the limo, adding, "Well, here's hoping you don't launch fireballs in the sky at my BBQ this weekend! Ryan's dad is bringing some sauce that has one heck of a kick to it!"

"Unless it's flammable, I should be fine." Wildfire smiled, then climbed into the limo.

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

Deske wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 5:01 pm Gregg entered the interview room and took the seat that was implied to be his. "Honestly, I really just want a place to be me without having to round up some friends for a 'camping trip' once a year or so. Even if I have to help build it myself I guess." Gregg shrugged, "Maybe I'll do some community service, help knock down some of the stigma; help accelerate some legislation or something." He leans back in the chair, shifting to a more comfortable position. "Crater City is one of the most progressive places for us, so I figure it'd be easier to start here and show it works than to try and build it from nothing, with no precedent, somewhere else."

"There really needs to be more Kaiju organizations out there." Heather commented thoughtfully. "Currently, though, the KDF is the only known one with any resources. Keep in mind, however, that this is a part of the military. You will have to train hard, and you will have to be willing to fight to defend the city if necessary."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Wed May 06, 2020 2:10 am

"I saw some of that - home, please, Kato." Ryan says as the driver shuts the door.
"He was using the concrete pavement like sand on a beach, writing in it and erasing it. I'm glad he's on our side."

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 8:02 am As Ryan and Wildfire were chatting, Mordecai had a small chuckle over the fireball comment while getting into the limo, adding, "Well, here's hoping you don't launch fireballs in the sky at my BBQ this weekend! Ryan's dad is bringing some sauce that has one heck of a kick to it!"

"That reminds me, you coming to my party tomorrow night, Wildfire? Pier three, any time from five, push-off is six thirty sharp because they need the dock for someone after us." Ryan reminds the dragon.

~~~~~~~~
"Oh, no charge at all. This one's on us. It's the least we can do for new recruits. If anything comes up on your blood test we'll be in touch. Otherwise, the Colonel will see you for your entry interview." Lightfoot answers, opening the door for his patient.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Wed May 06, 2020 5:57 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 2:10 am "Oh, no charge at all. This one's on us. It's the least we can do for new recruits. If anything comes up on your blood test we'll be in touch. Otherwise, the Colonel will see you for your entry interview." Lightfoot answers, opening the door for his patient.

Tigress nods, giving a simple "Oh, nice. Well, have a good day." as she walks through the door, taking a seat next to Julian. Noticing that Mist's already speaking, she just sits back and waits to figure out what's going on.

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 7:24 am Julian laughed. "Vanilla's good but I'm sure I can introduce you to other flavours over time. After all," he continued, "people will invite you to eat with them from time to time. You need to know what you don't like, yeah?" He sat down, feeling his phone and remembering he had to call a certain someone. "Well, if not Ice cream, what would you like to discuss?"

A little worried by what Julian means, Mist takes a moment extra to respond. "I... doubt invitations to dinner are going to be common for me." He says with a shy smile. "Ah..." While he has a question in mind, it's definitely not something he's comfortable asking. Even less so with his mother there. "We-Oh! What do you think of the town? I mean we haven't really seen much or talked to anyone but still."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Wed May 06, 2020 6:48 am

"Well, I'd eat lunch with you, Mist," Julian asserted, "with Tigress too, of course. As for the town? It's a good place. You should take time to look around if you get the chance. There's a lot of history here in places like the Murenger House and the galleries and the Sports centre." He sighed. "And, as for the people? Just talk with them like you've been talking with us. You'll do well. And, with your mother there?" He grinned. "It'll help, trust me."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Wed May 06, 2020 7:55 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 2:10 am "That reminds me, you coming to my party tomorrow night, Wildfire? Pier three, any time from five, push-off is six thirty sharp because they need the dock for someone after us." Ryan reminds the dragon.

"Which reminds me: Who's all going to be at this party you're doing tomorrow?" Mordecai asks Ryan.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Wed May 06, 2020 12:53 pm

"I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first time I've been in a fight. Though it would probably be the first time I've been in a fight while not dressed up," Gregg said, gesturing to himself. "As for training, I might not be the most physically impressive, but I like to think that I'd be able to hold my own during whatever comes."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Wed May 06, 2020 1:28 pm

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 6:48 am "Well, I'd eat lunch with you, Mist," Julian asserted, "with Tigress too, of course. As for the town? It's a good place. You should take time to look around if you get the chance. There's a lot of history here in places like the Murenger House and the galleries and the Sports centre." He sighed. "And, as for the people? Just talk with them like you've been talking with us. You'll do well. And, with your mother there?" He grinned. "It'll help, trust me."

Mist looks surprised at Julian's immediate response, quickly falling back into the look-away-and-fidget-with-cape combo as Julian continues speaking. Both felines react to the last two lines, Mist with a small shake of his head and Tigress with a loud scoff. "Last thing I want for him is friends where I fit in. Can you imagine?" She shakes her head with a disapproving frown.

The cat continues to pick at the cape's lining as he responds. "It's, ah, a kind offer certainly... I don't..." He's silent for a moment, then shakes his head and looks back up at Julian with a hint of sadness under the forced smile. "I don't think I should go talk to strangers, especially not around here. Especially not today. And you don't have to patronize me. I'm trying to get better about this. I'm sure the motive was pure, but I know I'm no conversationalist..."

Tigress brings a handpaw to her face as she sighs, shaking her head as she watches her son manage to trail off three times in one response. While this isn't the worst he's done in a discussion, it's certainly not one of his best. At least she gets her point across instead of tripping over it. So what if it lacks tact? His gaze jumps to her movement. Once he realizes the meaning he looks down, ashamed, offering a soft apology to Julian. "Sorry."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Wed May 06, 2020 2:01 pm

Julian shifted in his seat. "Don't apologise," he said lightly, "and I'm not trying to patronize, believe me. Look..
How to put it? Ah. Right. Yeah. Nerves and shyness. Believe me, with the possible exception of your mom and the Colonel, we all get them. We're all worried about how we seem to others. Take me, for example. There's a Vixen I... want to be friends with. Because I'm afraid of how she'll reply I've always found myself, uh, skirting around the question with her. Just chatting and passing the odd joke and saying nothing really. It's gone on for months. Today i finally almost asked her. Didn't, but I almost did. And, because of the time we'd spent together? She decided it was time to give me her number." He looked up to Tigress quickly before returning his gaze to Mist. "I plan to call it. Ask to meet. Cinema. Something. Coz, y'see, that's the real way to make friends. And you're about to start. When you start here, you'll be starting with others just as scared of certain things as you are, just as unsure. And you'll talk to them in time and they'll talk to you in time. Or vice versa, eh?" He chuckled slightly. They start as... people you met but soon you'll find there's some you like - and some you don't but more you like, I'll bet - and they'll understand you and like you back. At some point," he emphasised, "without either side really trying, they'll be your friends, Mist. I mean, you DO realise you've made two without trying today, yeah?"

Post by **CyberDragon** » Wed May 06, 2020 7:41 pm

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 2:10 am"That reminds me, you coming to my party tomorrow night, Wildfire? Pier three, any time from five, push-off is six thirty sharp because they need the dock for someone after us." Ryan reminds the dragon.

Wildfire smiled and nodded excitedly. "I will absolutely be there! I look forward to it!"

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

Deske wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 12:53 pm "I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first time I've been in a fight. Though it would probably be the first time I've been in a fight while not dressed up," Gregg said, gesturing to himself. "As for training, I might not be the most physically impressive, but I like to think that I'd be able to hold my own during whatever comes."

"It's not just a scrap or two you'll be getting in." Heather commented seriously. "Do you believe you would be capable of taking a life to protect either yourself or others from harm? There are Kaiju that cannot or will not be talked down. Threats like the living plague, Pestilence, that can only be stopped by force. Known man-eaters like the Leviathans of Pacifica that have been known to swallow fleets of ships in an instant. If any of them attack, we must use any and all force necessary to repel them."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Thu May 07, 2020 1:27 am

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 7:41 pm Wildfire smiled and nodded excitedly. "I will absolutely be there! I look forward to it!"

"Awesome!"

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 7:55 am "Which reminds me: Who's all going to be at this party you're doing tomorrow?" Mordecai asks Ryan.

"Wildfire, for one." Ryan quips.
"Oh, and my boyfriend, Ted, assuming he doesn't get held up at work. You never know with doctors." the otter adds before naming a few minor celebrities, semi-important business-people and heirs to fortunes from around the town that Mordecai might know, at least by reputation.

~~~~~~~~
After waving Tigress away, Lightfoot shuts the door and returns to his desk.
Medical exams are done, report pending blood test results will be on your desk first thing in the morning. he texts Heather before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes.
"Well, that was an experience..." he mutters to himself, staring at the roof for a few moments before shaking himself.
"Right. Time for coffee." Passing back into the larger examination room, he Shifts back to full size, collects his communicator which will let him know if the colonel replies to his message, and then passes through another Kaiju-sized door and into a break room where he pours himself a Kaiju-sized cup of coffee from the giant jug Annie had had brewing for him. Deciding to do nothing else until either the colonel replies or he's finished his coffee, he sits in a kaiju-sized chair and sips the drink.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Thu May 07, 2020 3:20 am

"I'm pretty sure I could. Never killed anyone, maybe a few hospitalizations, but no deaths. Using any kind of force in the defense of the city I live in would be pretty easy. Gotta protect those who can't protect themselves. If we didn't then who'd be left to fight for us when we need it?" Gregg paused for a second, "Don't get me wrong though, I'd never be excited to kill someone. Only if it came down to it."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Thu May 07, 2020 6:30 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 1:27 am "Wildfire, for one." Ryan quips.
"Oh, and my boyfriend, Ted, assuming he doesn't get held up at work. You never know with doctors." the otter adds before naming a few minor celebrities, semi-important business-people and heirs to fortunes from around the town that Mordecai might know, at least by reputation.

Mordecai nods, recognizing a few names, "I look forward to meeting them. Here's hoping they're better company then the three we met today," he chuckled, referring to the hunters.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Thu May 07, 2020 7:14 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 2:01 pm A well-put discussion on why Mist doesn't need to be constantly nervous.

Throughout Julian's speech Mist's smile slowly gets more and more clearly forced, his tail flicking aggressively behind him. It drops completely once Julian finishes, switching to a direct scowl. Tigress notices something about him and interjects forcefully "Mist, take a breath. You're going to say something you regret."

He responds with a single cynical laugh as he replies in an odd tone "I haven't said a thing I don't regret since I woke up! They don't- it's like-"

"TAKE. A. BREATH. I didn't ask for your opinion." Tigress growls, anger evident in her posture. Mist simply glares back.

"NO. They just don't get it. This 2 for 2 on adults who think that I just need to - to talk to people more and if I tried people would like me-" His attention flicks back to Julian, a cruel smile splayed on his face as he pushes himself to his feet. His hands open and close in waves, as if stretching his fingers, but his stance betrays as much anger as Tigress's own. "WE ARE MONSTERS. What happens when the date you finally got reveals she doesn't like Kaiju? Will you change? No. Because it's not possible. And who would like us? At best we're spectacles! Trained monkeys performing so the people don't think about how easily WE COULD DESTROY THEM. It's not about me being nervous - I know what people think of us! There's medication for that - but not for THIS! Not for LETHAL POISON! Friends. You both are delusional." He growls. Tigress stands up, crossing her arms and baring her teeth as he looks back at her.

"Get ahold of yourself. Now." There's a momentary standoff as she glares down at him and he resists, but the silence seems to dilute his anger far faster than hers. His tail stops, the smile falling to another look of shame as he flops into his chair. He immediately puts his head in his hands, looking down and breathing shakily. She holds the stance, glancing down at Julian to see what Mist's outburst has done. While normally she'd be proud he's shown some backbone this was neither the time nor the topic, and she worries he's probably managed to shake if not ruin one of his first actual friendships.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Thu May 07, 2020 7:45 am

Julian listened to what Mist said, watched his posture and heard his tone and thought on what to say next. "You say we're monsters," he argued at length. "There is some truth in that. I've known that what we can do is monstrous from the first time I crushed a building in training. I saw that what we do has the power to be horrendous. I decided, then and there, though that, if I were to be a monster? I wouldn't be that type of one. I've hated what our people can do and, yes, I've feared how people would see me. I've hidden the fact from many and told only a few. Two of those never spoke to me again. A different couple still send me small gifts on my birthday. I'm a tinkerer. It's kind of who I am. Gregg's a tailor. We're proof that 'monstrous' isn't necessarily our destiny and..." He paused in mid sentence for a second as his brain thought of something. "Wait a minute. i'm a Tinker, Gregg's a tailor, Your Mom's practically a soldier.. You look like a spy. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy?" He shook his head. "Never mind. The point is that, simply because everyone says you should be one thing, even if it's your family history going back hundreds of years, doesn't mean it's your destiny, Mist. As cliche as it is, you get to alter that to whatever you can."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Thu May 07, 2020 6:35 pm

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 1:27 am"Wildfire, for one." Ryan quips.
"Oh, and my boyfriend, Ted, assuming he doesn't get held up at work. You never know with doctors." the otter adds before naming a few minor celebrities, semi-important business-people and heirs to fortunes from around the town that Mordecai might know, at least by reputation.

"I might have a chat with some of them." Wildfire commented while he looked thoughtfully out of the window. "There's something I've been wanting to do, and I might convince some of the more sympathetic people there to help with it."

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 6:30 amMordecai nods, recognizing a few names, "I look forward to meeting them. Here's hoping they're better company then the three we met today," he chuckled, referring to the hunters.

"Some of them are." Wildfire said, absently. "I've vetted a few. Others, I'm not so sure about. When you've got the power they do, what they do gets magnified. You've got to know them outside of the context of their business, and you've got to know they have a context outside of their business. You've got to study their interests, study their behaviors, study what they do to people they don't have to impress... Anyone can act nice when they know they need the person they're talking to. You know a person by how they treat the people under them when nobody's looking."

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

Deske wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 3:20 am "I'm pretty sure I could. Never killed anyone, maybe a few hospitalizations, but no deaths. Using any kind of force in the defense of the city I live in would be pretty easy. Gotta protect those who can't protect themselves. If we didn't then who'd be left to fight for us when we need it?" Gregg paused for a second, "Don't get me wrong though, I'd never be excited to kill someone. Only if it came down to it."

"Alright." Heather said, looking straight at Gregg to try and decide if he was being honest. Not just with her, but with himself. Figuring he was, she moved on. "Would you mind sharing what skills or abilities you have in your Kaiju form? Rough height estimate, any supernatural powers, or physiological anomalies?"

Post by **SeanWolf** » Thu May 07, 2020 7:30 pm

CyberDragon wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 6:35 pm "Some of them are." Wildfire said, absently. "I've vetted a few. Others, I'm not so sure about. When you've got the power they do, what they do gets magnified. You've got to know them outside of the context of their business, and you've got to know they have a context outside of their business. You've got to study their interests, study their behaviors, study what they do to people they don't have to impress... Anyone can act nice when they know they need the person they're talking to. You know a person by how they treat the people under them when nobody's looking."

"Well, this is a world where the more one lies, the more truthful they'll be," Mordecai lamented, lounging back on the limo seat, "Anyway, I'm just hopping I have a good time tomorrow..well, my time in this city hasn't been the greatest so far. Other then my spats with you, Wildfire, and the council here, this just city just doesn't feel that inviting to us Tikbalang," he adjusted himself on the seat a bit, a small leather pouch that held an object peaking out ever so slightly from under his button shirt he had on, "Don't get me wrong, Crater City is a wonderful city and I mean no ill-will when I say this...I just prefer the comforts and peacefulness of Thunder Bay, truth be told."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Fri May 08, 2020 6:15 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 7:45 am "Never mind. The point is that, simply because everyone says you should be one thing, even if it's your family history going back hundreds of years, doesn't mean it's your destiny, Mist. As cliche as it is, you get to alter that to whatever you can."

Head still in his hands, Mist takes a few deep breaths in silence as Julian talks. Once he finishes, Mist raspily mutters "I can lie to myself about what I am. I can hide it from everyone. But it doesn't fix anything. Even if I only ever saved people, it doesn't change what I am... just my reputation. I could never shift again, never hurt a soul, but that watch, those people... they know I'm still a monster."

Tigress drops back into her seat, a single laugh following. "Mist, the only issue with what you are is the people you're around. And yeah, that's probably my fault, this whole paranoid thing and where we live and all, but these two are offering you an out. Plus you're complaining to two Kaiju about being a Kaiju. You aren't going to tell them anything they don't know. They've just figured out how to deal with it. Maybe it's worth trusting that they know what they're doing. That little stunt earlier was a mess, sure, but normal people get murdered all the time too. Don't take it so personally." She gives a good-natured grin, pleased with how reassuring that must've been. Mist remains silent, sitting there, no clear indication to having worsened or recovered.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Fri May 08, 2020 7:10 am

"Eh, don't worry too much. I've met them all before. I wouldn't invite anyone I thought was a danger to us." Ryan reassures his companions.
"What have you been wanting to do, Wildfire? And yeah, Mr. Mayor. I don't blame you for that. You've not exactly had much of a chance to see much of the good side of the city though." Ryan agrees, mentally adding that the mayor might have found the city more welcoming if he hadn't kept taking offence to everything.

~~~~~~~~
In the break room which connects to the waiting room via a door behind Annie's desk, Lightfoot listens carefully to the raised voices outside, debating whether or not he should intervene.

Eventually Annie intervenes for him. Kneeling in front of Mist, she takes his paws in hers and gently but firmly pulls them away from his face.
"Mist. Look at me for a moment, Mist... You're a Kaiju, yes. But you are NOT a monster. Don't ever let yourself think that. A monster is not what someone is, it's what they choose to be. Whether or not someone is a monster is determined by their actions and their actions alone. Not by who they hang out with or by what people think of them or what they think of themselves or by what they were born as. What other people think of you doesn't matter in the slightest. What matters is what YOU think of you and how YOU choose to act. Don't let these people, these haters, these monsters define your life before it's even begun. You've got the chance here to prove them wrong. Don't let that slip through your fingers, okay?" the nurse implores, looking Mist in the eye for as long as he'll let her.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Fri May 08, 2020 10:05 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 7:10 am "Eh, don't worry too much. I've met them all before. I wouldn't invite anyone I thought was a danger to us." Ryan reassures his companions.
"What have you been wanting to do, Wildfire? And yeah, Mr. Mayor. I don't blame you for that. You've not exactly had much of a chance to see much of the good side of the city though." Ryan agrees, mentally adding that the mayor might have found the city more welcoming if he hadn't kept taking offence to everything.

Mordecai chuckled a little, not realizing that leather shoulder strap was now within plain view as he leaned back a bit, "I can see in you eyes what you actually mean and I won't deny that I was probably some of the reason for the issues. But, it's just the way we are, you know? We tikbalang just see the world differently then humans and other kaijus. Does it excuse me for how I treated Wildfire? Not really as I will freely admit I was, in a way, rude to him. But that's all in the past and I already apologized back there to him. But, again, that's all in the past, so lets just focus on the now, which oddly leads me to this question, Ryan: You got any chips and dip at your home? I'm still a bit hungry."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Fri May 08, 2020 10:56 am

Julian looked sadly at Mist. "The only other things I know about monsters?" He put his paws on the teens shoulders. "They don't torture themselves about things they've done. They don't hold themselves accountable like you are. They ALWAYS assign the blame to the victims for whatever reason they can think of, Mist. The fact you're talking like this now? Tells me you're no monster. And probably never will be." He gave a slight smile. "No matter what some wrong people think. Just use what happened to drive what you want to do. Help others. It... won't make up for what you may have done, I know. But you may be able to stop others doing it, yeah?"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Fri May 08, 2020 11:38 am

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 7:10 am "You've got the chance here to prove them wrong. Don't let that slip through your fingers, okay?" the nurse implores, looking Mist in the eye for as long as he'll let her.

As she pulls his paws back it's clear he's still heavily shaken. Tears dampen his fur, but despite his embarrassment he can't look away from her. She's trying to help, and it'd be exceptionally rude considering she's taking her own time.

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 10:56 am "No matter what some wrong people think. Just use what happened to drive what you want to do. Help others. It... won't make up for what you may have done, I know. But you may be able to stop others doing it, yeah?"

Mist jumps slightly upon Julian's contact, turning his head upwards to look at the more familiar fox. A slight smile accompanies it without intent, an automatic reaction.

Once they've finished, Mist looks at both of them on the verge of tears, his breathing still ragged. At the same time Tigress sits back in her chair, an oddly pure smile on her face as she watches the two reassure her kit. She pretends to rub some sort of exhaustion from her eyes to hide her own tears. These reactions are pretty rare, but not unheard of, and today certainly has been a stressful day. But seeing a display of such pure kindness to a stranger... it's a touching scene to anyone, especially the two demons.

The shadowy cat takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes and giving his head a jerky shake to try to control himself. A choked laughter spills from him as he struggles to speak. "Y-you'r-re a-ha-hall s-so ki-hind." His eyes reopen to look at the pair again, sparkling as a goofy grin overtakes him and the sobs fade, leaving him with just relieved laughter to delay further response.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Fri May 08, 2020 12:20 pm

Gregg scratched his chin in thought, trying to figure out how tall he was. "I'm probably about 50 meters tall and, honestly I'm not really sure what my insides are like. Doc Lightfoots got me coming back for a scan or two to figure out. My blood doesn't look as bright red, more of a dark reddish gray. Oh and there's another windpipe in my throat. But, uh, otherwise that's about all I know," He said, finishing with a shrug. "As for supernatural abilities, well, the first one isn't the most good-guy sounding, but I can breathe a decaying sort of firey mist. The next one is a little better, I've got a little pocket universe type thing that I can create portals into and out of. I can pull people and things into it, but generally I just use it for moving around."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sat May 09, 2020 2:38 am

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 7:30 pm"Well, this is a world where the more one lies, the more truthful they'll be," Mordecai lamented, lounging back on the limo seat, "Anyway, I'm just hopping I have a good time tomorrow..well, my time in this city hasn't been the greatest so far. Other then my spats with you, Wildfire, and the council here, this just city just doesn't feel that inviting to us Tikbalang," he adjusted himself on the seat a bit, a small leather pouch that held an object peaking out ever so slightly from under his button shirt he had on, "Don't get me wrong, Crater City is a wonderful city and I mean no ill-will when I say this...I just prefer the comforts and peacefulness of Thunder Bay, truth be told."

"That's fair." Wildfire said with a shrug. "Honestly, the hustle and bustle of city life isn't for everyone. Heck, even I sometimes consider moving to some remote town sometimes. But I can't abandon the city."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 7:10 am "Eh, don't worry too much. I've met them all before. I wouldn't invite anyone I thought was a danger to us." Ryan reassures his companions.
"What have you been wanting to do, Wildfire? And yeah, Mr. Mayor. I don't blame you for that. You've not exactly had much of a chance to see much of the good side of the city though." Ryan agrees, mentally adding that the mayor might have found the city more welcoming if he hadn't kept taking offence to everything.

Wildfire shook his head. "It's not us I'm worried about. Not even talking about them being a threat to anyone's safety." he said. "Wealthy and powerful people will try hard to impress other wealthy people. I'm just saying make sure you know the people at your party. Some examples..." Wildfire started going through some of the people Ryan had mentioned. "Richard Busch, for example, recently accepted a 25% pay raise as CEO of his company. This was days after 30% of his workforce were made to take pay cuts due to the loss of a couple high-paying customers. Michael Kenway sent out then deleted a message on Social Media where he let slip that he sends his money to offshore bank accounts to avoid taxes. He later 'corrected' himself. Jeffrey Mason, if you dig a bit to find them, has fifteen non-disclosure agreements with fifteen separate former employees, all of them women." The dragon ground his teeth slightly when thinking about all of this, but he maintained his calm. "I'm just saying. Be very careful. You and I know more than most that people aren't always who they present themselves to be."

Wildfire sighed, and a bit of smoke rose from his nostrils. "On the more positive side, you have people like Football player James Watt who donated about five million dollars worth of food and supplies to hurricane victims. Zach Musial helped pay for a public security bunker in partnership with the KDF. They're the people I need to talk to." Wildfire looked up back at Ryan. "What I want to do is set up a sort of charity. A way to help the poor, the disabled, the homeless... I want to start an organization where Kaiju work to help them. Building homes for the homeless, bringing free food to the poor, distributing medicine to the people who are sick but can't afford the hospital... I want to help people in more ways than just being a giant burning meat shield between them and hostiles."

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

Deske wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 12:20 pm Gregg scratched his chin in thought, trying to figure out how tall he was. "I'm probably about 50 meters tall and, honestly I'm not really sure what my insides are like. Doc Lightfoots got me coming back for a scan or two to figure out. My blood doesn't look as bright red, more of a dark reddish gray. Oh and there's another windpipe in my throat. But, uh, otherwise that's about all I know," He said, finishing with a shrug. "As for supernatural abilities, well, the first one isn't the most good-guy sounding, but I can breathe a decaying sort of firey mist. The next one is a little better, I've got a little pocket universe type thing that I can create portals into and out of. I can pull people and things into it, but generally I just use it for moving around."

"That is interesting... And sounds very useful." Heather said, rubbing her chin in thought. "As for 'good-guy sounding powers,' what power you've got rarely decides whether a person is good or bad. Anyway, do you have any questions for me?"

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sat May 09, 2020 3:16 am

"Well," Julian admitted, letting go of the youth, "Nurse Anne's a pro good guy. I don't get paid so I'm an amateur for now."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Sat May 09, 2020 10:18 am

"Glad to hear that there's no disqualifier based on power set. I do have a question or two though. Like, what's the schedule like? I'm not looking for a full time job, just an on-call, reservist type deal. Something on the side to give back when I can since I've already got a full time job."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Sat May 09, 2020 11:23 am

Annie smiles at Mist and offers him a tissue and a cup of water from the cooler in the corner.
"Yeah, as Julian said. It's my job to be kind. I'm horrid off the clock though." she quips.

~~~~~~~~

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 10:05 am Mordecai chuckled a little, not realizing that leather shoulder strap was now within plain view as he leaned back a bit, "I can see in you eyes what you actually mean and I won't deny that I was probably some of the reason for the issues. But, it's just the way we are, you know? We tikbalang just see the world differently then humans and other kaijus. Does it excuse me for how I treated Wildfire? Not really as I will freely admit I was, in a way, rude to him. But that's all in the past and I already apologized back there to him. But, again, that's all in the past, so lets just focus on the now, which oddly leads me to this question, Ryan: You got any chips and dip at your home? I'm still a bit hungry."

"Hey, you said it, not me! But yeah, of course I have chips and dip. They're basically a staple for me and Ted." the otter grins.

But the smile slips from his face as Wildfire delivers his news.
"[expletive]." he says eventually, mind whirling.
"I hadn't heard. But of course they wouldn't tell me. That puts me in a difficult position though. I don't want to be complicit in that sort of [expletive] but at the same time, we have contracts. If we break them off it could ruin their companies and cost potentially hundreds of people their jobs. Not to mention it would reflect on our company too if we broke off suddenly and that could cost our own workers jobs. But at the same time, if we keep associating that could also reflect badly on us..." he explains, thinking aloud.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sat May 09, 2020 12:01 pm

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 3:16 am "Well," Julian admitted, letting go of the youth, "Nurse Anne's a pro good guy. I don't get paid so I'm an amateur for now."

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 11:23 am Annie smiles at Mist and offers him a tissue and a cup of water from the cooler in the corner.
"Yeah, as Julian said. It's my job to be kind. I'm horrid off the clock though." she quips.

Mist takes the offered supplies, rubbing his eyes against his arm as the laughter begins to fade. "You're both awful liars." He fake-chastises, grinning. He takes the water in both hands and drinks it swiftly, licking his lips as though he were parched. He looks past them to his mother, noting that she's turned her head away. He doesn't realize she's trying to hide her own tears and his smile fades. Misinterpreting her gesture he looks back at the two next to him, apologetic. "I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me... to act like some hardheaded child like that." He shakes his head, a frown taking over him as his gaze falls downward again.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sat May 09, 2020 12:28 pm

Mordecai smiled and nodded at Ryan's answer as he then listened to both his and Wildfire's conversation then to what Ryan was saying. "Isn't there a way you could break off without costing your own workers their jobs?" Mordecai asked.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sat May 09, 2020 1:11 pm

"Ah," Julian shrugged, "don't worry about it. We all do that from time to time." he waved his phone at Mist. "Better go make a mistake, eh?" he chuckled, then headed over to the corner of the room and fished the number out. "Hello," he asked lightly if/when it was answered, "I'm calling to, uh, compliment the coffee I was, um, served this morning?"

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sat May 09, 2020 7:59 pm

Deske wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 10:18 am "Glad to hear that there's no disqualifier based on power set. I do have a question or two though. Like, what's the schedule like? I'm not looking for a full time job, just an on-call, reservist type deal. Something on the side to give back when I can since I've already got a full time job."

"The schedule is part time, and primarily on-call. You will be expected to take part in training, but you can organize your training days around your workdays." Heather answered. "You should be able to stick with your job, but be aware that you might be called to service in an emergency during your workday. In an All Hands On Deck situation, we'll need ALL hands, even if those hands are occupied. Luckily, situations like that are rare, and most situations can be handled by one or two teams."

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

Hlaoroo wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 11:23 amBut the smile slips from his face as Wildfire delivers his news.
"[expletive]." he says eventually, mind whirling.
"I hadn't heard. But of course they wouldn't tell me. That puts me in a difficult position though. I don't want to be complicit in that sort of [expletive] but at the same time, we have contracts. If we break them off it could ruin their companies and cost potentially hundreds of people their jobs. Not to mention it would reflect on our company too if we broke off suddenly and that could cost our own workers jobs. But at the same time, if we keep associating that could also reflect badly on us..." he explains, thinking aloud.

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 12:28 pm Mordecai smiled and nodded at Ryan's answer as he then listened to both his and Wildfire's conversation then to what Ryan was saying. "Isn't there a way you could break off without costing your own workers their jobs?" Mordecai asked.

"I have a few ideas." Wildfire said. "But they won't be easy to execute. The easiest to deal with is Michael Kenway. Saying "Just Kidding" doesn't really cut it with the IRS. I took a screenshot of his post before he deleted it, and I'm trying to gather as much financial evidence on his tax evasion, but there's only so much I can gather." Wildfire sighed and looked up at Ryan. "You might be able to help, though. If you could get him to talk, maybe express annoyance at your tax rate, we might get him to slip up again. Help me gather the information to get him convicted, and he'll be arrested without you needing to break ties with the company."

Wildfire held up two fingers and continued. "Second, Richard Busch. He'll be harder since he technically didn't do anything illegal. That is, unless we could prove he lied about loosing customers. This might be something I do on my own, since it might take some rather aggressive persuasion to get him to give the money he stole back to his employees."

The dragon lifted a third, clawed finger. "The hardest to deal with will be Jeffrey Mason. Weaponized NDA's are powerful and terrifying. While NDA's can't legally prevent a person from reporting a crime, reporting said crime would mean a lengthy and expensive legal battle with a very powerful billionaire. If they loose and the courts find what they accused the company of isn't criminal on the company or Mason's part, then the NDA takes effect, forcing them to pay back whatever hush money they were given, and then also pay for the company's legal bills. The first step would be to find out exactly what the NDA was meant to gag without forcing the employees to violate the NDA. This one, I believe you can help the most with." He said, looking at Ryan. "You can hire private investigators to look into the company. Have them ask questions of the employees, and see if they can figure out what was in those NDA's without having those employees break them. Once we know that, we can figure out the steps to take from there."

Wildfire leaned back on his seat. "If you want to keep their companies from firing their employees, we need to root out any criminal or immoral activity in those companies and surgically target it. If you want to avoid it all reflecting poorly on your company when they're outed, you need to be involved in outing them."

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

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 1:11 pm "Ah," Julian shrugged, "don't worry about it. We all do that from time to time." he waved his phone at Mist. "Better go make a mistake, eh?" he chuckled, then headed over to the corner of the room and fished the number out. "Hello," he asked lightly if/when it was answered, "I'm calling to, uh, compliment the coffee I was, um, served this morning?"

Apparently she was waiting for the call because it picked up halfway through the first ring. "Hey! I'm so glad you called! I just got off of work a few minutes ago."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » 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?"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sun May 10, 2020 7:41 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 1:11 pm "Ah," Julian shrugged, "don't worry about it. We all do that from time to time." he waved his phone at Mist. "Better go make a mistake, eh?" he chuckled, then headed over to the corner of the room and fished the number out.

Mist, after a moment to realize what he means, perks up and whispers "Oh! Good luck!"

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?"

Feeling mildly awkward at being able to hear the conversation Mist moves to sit by his mother, quietly inviting Annie over with him. Tigress fakes a yawn to wipe her eyes and puts her arm around his shoulders with a smile. She begins to speak in Yasal, trying to keep her volume low. "No problems eavesdropping on me but someone else is a whole other deal, huh?"

Mist leans into her and corrects "English, we don't want to exclude Miss Annie."

Tigress fakes a shocked expression and replies "You mean to tell me she doesn't know the ancient language of the cat demons by heart? For shame." Said demon then grins at Annie.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » 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.

~~~~~~~~
In the break room, Lightfoot is relieved to hear the laughter and relaxes again as he finishes his coffee. He rinses the cup, feeling better, and Shifts back to his disgused form before heading back to his office to complete his paperwork.

~~~~~~~~
Ryan 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?"