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2025-06-12 - Hybrid Breeds and Mixed Deeds

2025-06-13T05:38:33Z

Louis:

{{Logsummary|
Title=Hybrid Breeds and Mixed Deeds
|Summary=The Hybrid Appreciation Event is underway, funded by the Horns Conglomerate and hosted by Louis the Red Deer. However, despite the roster of speakers for the event, a handful of special guests have decided to attend, as well! However, not everyone is on their best behavior.
|Who=[[Louis]], [[Sam_Walker]]
|Date=June 12, 2025
|Where=Haku-to Center for City Governance, Denko City, Beast Island
|Log=
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Behind closed doors, a small deer talks to a larger stag while a lion stands near the exit. His clothing and image are immaculate from the trim of his claws, the shine of his antlers, to the fit of his three piece suit. The fabric is rich, silky, and colored a dark maroon. The look on his face shows a different hue altogether. Piercing eyes look upward to the stag while hand motions reveal a rather heated conversation. All the same, his voice volume is kept low so nobody outside the room can hear.

"...and we're going to make enemies today over this, Hartford. Publicly. I'm expecting retaliation financially, sure, but there are monsters in the dark waiting for excuses to fight battles or wage war. That's- That's what we're doing today. Again."

Hartford, the older stag, appears to be a well-seasoned businessman and is one of Louis' most trusted assistants regarding the overarching duties of Horns Conglomerate. Not just a yes-man, the stag speaks in a professional tone and manner and addresses his boss with the respect that comes with the position. "Nothing that you cannot count on us to weather, Mister Louis. I have the same faith in your judgment as I did with your late father's."

There's a pause, a short-lived grimace, then an internal frown at the mention of Oguma. Louis cannot help but compare his own vision with what he feels his father, Oguma, and his extremely missed friend, Ibuki, would suggest or do. It's not second guessing. It's trying to stay true to the self despite how things change. "I know... No holding back now."

"It's time, boss," states the black-suited lion. Dolph has been paying attention to the talks outside and is ready to accompany his boss as security for what's about to happen.

"Of course it is. Is my tie straight?" asks the small deer of the lion that towers over him.

"You look great, boss. Now show them what my boss can do when he sets his mind to something he wants."

Hartford doesn't understand the reference, but close history between Louis and Dolph dictates a different image. Louis simply smiles, just a bit. It really is the same as before. One faction playing at war with others over the fate of innocent souls caught up in the middle. Dolph opens the door but the deer that steps through first isn't Louis the Drama President or Louis the University Student or even Louis the Business Husband. He's not Louis the Best Friend or Louis the Ex-Lover or Louis the Almost Beastar. He's not Louis the Statistic.

Louis the Former Shishigumi Boss steps through the door and turns to walk out onto the stage of the converted ballroom of a City Hall. While not the Denko Metropolitan Government Building, this building is better for social functions that include or benefit the city and is often used for political rallies. The sizable ballroom offers plenty of space for the public venue and the area is filled not only with guests, but also tables of refreshments and food for differing beasts with at least two vetted dietary practitioners on-hand to help determine what is safe for consumption for each guest. In addition, multiple studio-sized cameras are set up to record most angles of the stage and some of the rest of the room, each manned by media personnel.

There is some clapping and cheering as Louis appears, walking by many others already on the stage, sitting, as if for a purpose. Unlike most of the easy to identify beasts around, most of those sitting and clapping seem to be...mixed breeds. Louis waves and smiles in a professional way, Dolph stands close but not too close, and Hartford passes Dolph to walk over along with his employer. He gets an introduction from a Carnivore host, yet then steps up onto a platform behind the podium so that his diminutive size doesn't impact his visibility. His metal right 'foot' clinks against the pedestal as he does inadvertently drawing attention to it. He leans in toward the bouquet of mics to speak.

"On behalf of the Horns Conglomerate and our goal to raise public awareness and effected positive change for all beasts, I welcome you all to our Hybrid Appreciation Event." Louis can't help but scan the crowd t osee if a certain hybrid friend is present, but the wolf probably forgot he was even invited. Nonetheless, his eyes settle upon each wolf-like guest in turn as he speaks. "As you all well know, Hybrid-Born Species have been only spoken of in hushed whispers for many generations. The recent reconstruction of the former Back Alley-" he states, although leaves out 'market' as the callout alone will already cause distress in many, "-into a residential zone for Hybrid-Born beasts, along with facilities for specialized foods and unbiased education practices, was only the first step. Now that lives have been rebuilt and a measure of living comfort for those discriminated against has been reached, we are now ready to hear directly from them."

Louis half turns to gesture to those sitting behind him with an outstretched arm. "We have some very special guests with us here today that we'll be hearing from. After they have had a chance, each, to tell their story, they have graciously agreed to field any questions you might have for them." He turns back and leans forward, eyes narrowing just a bit. "Horns Conglomerate understands that this may feel to some as a political proposition or movement. While we stand for equality and co-existence, not everyone is ready or willing to allow every beast the same rights and treatment as all others. There are organizations out there whose principals and goals fly in the very face of this basic freedom of living." Louis adjusts his stare to bore into one of the cameras as if looking directly at a very particular civet that already tried to have him killed at least once before.

"I, Louis the Red Deer, welcome any of you so opposed to our just cause to attend a public discussion on the matter in the same vein as our event today. It's only fair that equality be extended to all parties involved, even bigots." Hartford winces a bit at this coarse statement. "Our dedication is to understanding, after all, and, through it, forgiveness and a foundation for a united tomorrow!"

A redeeming final punctuation, perhaps, at least lends to cheering and applause.

Site of interest no.31. The moniker rolled off the tongue like sandpaper by comparison to what the locals called it, though 'of interest' was fitting enough. For its hundred years since its founding day, the colony had only seen just the one animal person. To find themselves watching entire cities full of them through their recon drone feeds, listening to their transmissions and trying to piece together their story from afar, well, that was certainly an 'interesting' development.

Sam's boots were Citadel's first on Denko's ground. Normally the young bio-technologically uplifted wolf would have been a more startling sight, yet in Denko he blended into crowds of animal people like none of their other Nomad surveyors could ever hope. He'd become a little cocky perhaps on this, his second day amongst them. His reports were already a wealth of data far richer than the colony could have ever hoped to have gleaned through their more cautious monitoring, yet what better way was there to really measure the pulse of a place than an event like this?

He paused to take note of the crowd. 'Hybrids' weren't unknown to him, after all, Impids, Dirtmoles, Baseliners, Yttakin, Pigskin and even more besides had all found themselves a home in Citadel much like he had, but here there seemed to be a tension behind it. An uneasiness. Even here, he was hearing applause from one side, then discontented sounding murmurs from another.

With Louis' eyes going from wolf to wolf, they probably wouldn't take too long to land on Sam. The black furred one was listening, fairly intently for that matter, amber eyes looking up at the deer, ears only occasionally swivelling to track on the louder grumbles or occasional odd noise while in his hand he had gotten himself a small selection of things from the buffet sitting on a paper plate. Sam wasn't going to turn down free food. Perhaps he could chalk even this part up as work related. Food is important to culture, after all.

The food, much like the local spiritual beliefs and superstitions, reflect much of an Eastern style. While a number of the foods available are simple -- the easier to monitor dietary restriction -- none seem to involve what most consider to be 'meat'. Then again, the Beast Island doesn't sport any sort of local wildlife as a part of the ecosystem. There are plenty of insects and other base invertebrates, sure, but no small game in the brush or birds flying in the sky other than the local bird 'people', and those beasts have licenses to do so. All the same, were one to ask, a dietician may have simple fish sausage to offer for the Carnivore in need where other protein supplements won't do.

"Our first guest is Pelan the Striped Skunk/Aardvark." No bushy tail to be seen, but he does appear to be a very fluffy anteater. With sharp teeth, a friendly smile and wave show. "Later in the programme we'll also hear from Setsu the Bengal Tiger/African Lion, Jonna the Boar/Silverback Gorilla, and our Guest Star, who isn't a hybrid, but is instead a Gazelle that fathered a hybrid many of us know, and is here to talk about how social bias affects being the parent of a mixed breed."

There are murmurs in the crowd as people recognize the glasses-wearing meek-looking older gazelle only due to association. There are whispers about melon, too, as one fruit bat eating a slice turns to look over in surprise.

"Pelan, if you would please step on up and tell the gathered your story, and may the rest of you give Pelan a welcoming round of applause. Thank you for being here, Pelan." The deer steps down and meets the hybrid with a hand shake before they step up to speak. Louis walks over to Hartford and whispers something, the stag nods, and the smaller of the two wanders to the side of the stage where the steps lead down...where Dolph the Lion stands.

Sam had stuck to the more simple options. Those were safer he figured. Less risk of both eating something he shouldn't, whether that something would have a rogue chunk of onion hidden in it or just have far too much spice to handle with any sort of dignity. That and perhaps it being easier to hide that he was a foreigner even if his accent'd likely be giving that away far sooner. That drawl was hard to hide, and trying probably would have just left him sounding ridiculous anyhow.

He'd just popped something that he was fairly certain was some sort of spring roll into his mouth when he heard the crowd turn again. He paused mid chew, ears on a swivel once more. Something about this gazelle had the crowd tense, even if from where he was sitting he couldn't think of much more of an unassuming figure. He tried to listen in though even with his hearing being as sharp as it was all he was getting was a few words in amongst the background, some coming up more frequently than others, though one kept breaking through. 'Melon'. Sam was guessing by this point they weren't talking about the fruit.

Pelan opens up with a basic introduction, age, and where they grew up in the city. It's a fairly relaxed affair, overall. The speakers can speak, those that want to listen can listen, and those that want to converse can do so without much in the way to disturb others overly. The shape and design of the room help with that a lot. "And like most others my age at the time, I didn't know what other children were picking on me about. I knew I looked different from my mother and father, but I didn't know how that was supposed to be bad."

Louis exits the stage down the steps in order to make his way to the table that offers fresh vegetable juice, but it's not an easy task. Stopped every so often, he shakes plenty of hands and makes a lot of small talk. While the event is sponsored by Horns Conglomerate, it's also a topic of business platforming. The sheer money available for investment is enough to influence city law. It's damningly effective in a way that makes it all too obvious how other organizations, like the Kopi Luwak Research Organization, are able to obtain so much influence through the management and sale of research and information. As such, speaking with Louis is a direct way of interacting with the heart of the Co-Existence Movement.

It's true, though. The content they are openly discussing and broadcasting have been quite taboo and are serious matters with more than one dark side in its history. "That's why we're working hard to bring these important matters into the light. Thank you for being here. Please, excuse me for now, but in the meanwhile you might want to speak with Doctor Grames in attendance today. He could have some insight on your nephew's condition." Louis doesn't shy from such encounters. He boldly meets them, eye contact and all, while a few of his security detail watch vigilantly close by.

Sam took down a few more notes, claw like fingernails clacking slightly against the colony issued datatab disguised within a conventional smartphone's shell. He wasn't so much interested in the specific stories, noting those down only in brief compared to what he was able to glean about the attitudes towards those who could be called 'hybrids'. While he wasn't exactly sure whether that attitude would extend so much as to make these people spooked at the sight of Citadel's population should actual contact be made, it was certainly worth a consideration.

Then again he couldn't help but start wondering if the sight of even just a baseliner human alone would be enough to spook them. He hadn't seen any around since he left the colony, and a lot of these people had apparently been treated almost as though they were monsters on mere appearances alone. Not a good sign, albeit, maybe this talk was indicative of a shift in such things.

He soon found his way back to the table. It was partially to grab another couple of those spring rolls, Sam'd found himself starting to take a liking to them, but mostly to stay within easy enough earshot of this deer without obviously looking like he was snooping on his conversations. Surely there was more to this than just what he'd seen and heard so far.

"I still remember the time -- how could I forget -- when an upperclassman hare approached me after school with some friends. Earlier that day I had sat near them at lunch since every other empty spot was already, uh, taken. You know? Yeah. Heh. So, he walks right up to me and, without warning, socks me right in the nose. I was stunned at first. Surprised. But then he yelled in my face: We don't want any filthy hybrids in our school. Don't come near us again, freak! I wanted to cry, but I was so confused that I just couldn't do anything other than hold my bloody nose as they walked away angrily cheering to each other."

Louis stops at the counter set out to offer drinks. "Vegetable juice. Something green and bitter, if you've got it." For now, he's got a moment to himself, it seems.

"Not two? I was hoping your lovely wife would be here."

"Azuki is meeting with friends for a personal dinner this evening."

"Ah, I understand. Here you go, Mister Louis." A cup is handed over with what looks like a very green juice indeed. He lifts it to his face to sniff it just in time for the lights to flicker and dim. A number of beasts present murmur some mild alarm, but the lights never go out. After a moment passes, the weakened lights restore to full. Louis lowers his cup and cuts a look over to one of the nearby lions, a strong looking one named Miguel, just as Miguel pulls out his phone to make a phone call. A few laughs echo around the ballroom, however, and the talking continues. Louis puts his drink down on the counter and turns away to scan the room, as a precaution. As a habit.

"Mister Louis, your drink, sir."

Something didn't feel right. Sam had almost allowed himself to relax a little before, to take in the atmosphere rather than the potential threats. On the one hand, it was only a flickering light. With his eyes especially that in of itself was a trivial issue, though the whole time he'd been on Denko so far there hadn't been even a hiccup in the grid to the point that the city having well established, if a little primitive by Citadel's standards, infrastructure was somewhere in one of his earlier reports.

He did much the same as the deer and scanned the room for threats, his mind listing the possibilities. Chief among the list was simple happenstance. A gust of wind blowing a pylon in the wrong way, or a fuse popping, yet he couldn't help but think of more 'what ifs'. The topic at hand was, seemingly, a controversy. The speaker had actively called *someone* out earlier.

He let his senses wander the room. Eyes, nose, ears, all three of them trying to gain a better picture than one of them could alone. Eyes scanned for movement in shadows, ears for the fizzle of a mechanoid's EMI dynamo, nose for either mundane frazzled electrics or perhaps the acrid chemical smell of something more untoward.

Of course all that'd be a whole lot easier if he didn't have to be so subtle about it. That and the fact that a room full of people and food creates quite a confusing environment for a snoofter to sift through.

Nothing seems off. Nothing immediate. All of those faces; everybody blends in. Pelan continues to talk. Dolph gazes across the room. Miguel speaks on his phone. Louis flicks an ear and turns back to grab his drink, even if it does smell a bit off. He's now distracted. If something goes wrong, it'll be dealt with, though. He, on the other hand, has to continue to appear strong. It's all made broadcast, after all, and one brief moment of weakness on camera will live on forever.

"But it was resilience in the face of that oppression that other beasts are taught is okay at a young age that I was able to over-" Ka-thunk! The power suddenly fully drops. "-come...that...feeling...of...weakness...and..." Pelan's words go from amplified to merely spoken mid-sentence, almost muted in the face of the muffling darkness.

It's a ballroom. No windows. Just doors. With no light sources, it's pitch dark. For some present, that's not an issue. For the Herbivores, though, there is more than a murmuring alarm. "I can't see anything," somebody says amidst the crowd.

"Somebody check the breaker?" suggest another.

"Guess the city forgot to pay the electricity bill," jokes another voice. "Probably gonna make Horns pay for that, too."

It's not that it's an immediate sense of emergency. It's that it clearly borders on one. Even Louis looks suddenly lost as he stands there. Somebody from the crowd walks up onto the stage, but Pelan waves a hand. "No, it's okay. I can see in the dark. I take after my father like that. Ha, my daughter does, too."

There's other movement, too. Most people in the gathering stay put. Carnivores seem to be keeping close to nearby Herbivores, as well, offering a supportive presence while the issue gets resolved. It's a mixed bag with the hybrids present, though. It feels like a spring being wound up too tightly, more and more and more.

Louis keeps a stern face and at least tries to rely on his other senses.

For a moment Sam was just as blinded as the rest of the herbivores, his eyes taking a few precious seconds to adjust to the sudden loss of the light. In some ways his eyesight was flawed as compared to his human peers. Colour blindness, lesser depth perception, though seeing through the darkness was one area where he had all but the underground dwelling Dirtmoles beat by a considerable margin.

Something inside screamed at him to ready his weapon. To reach into the holster hidden in his jacket and take comfort in the cold certainty of steel in his hand yet more rational thoughts held him back. If he could still see, so could others, and standing there with a revolver after the power mysteriously drops probably wouldn't be a good look.

Instead he settled for redoubling his efforts in scanning the surroundings, all up until a herbivore, an oddly tall rabbit from what he could make out, quite literally stumbled into him. Wired as he was, catching them before they hit the ground wasn't an issue, though the terrified yelp at the feeling of a clawed hand stopping them from falling to the cold hard floor possibly was.

"Whoa, easy. It's OK, I got ya'. You alright?" His voice was low and as soothing as he could make it, though it came through tinged with a drawl and deep gravel that was perhaps a little less common for the region.

"I-I-... I thought- You-"

Came a stammered reply. "And I reckoned I was gonna get through today without the dang ringin' in my ears coming back. Thanks, by the way." He offered a hand up, the rabbit still clinging to him and clearly now more terrified of the dark than the warm voiced wolf man standing in it. "Here, lets get you back on yer feet at least. Just try not to put a hole in my other eardrum while you're at it."

A figure passes beside Sam and the rabbit. They speak up concerning the yelp, as the sound also startles others in the room already on edge, "Somebody just tripped. Stay calm." It's Miguel. "Boss, Hino says it's only our block that went out. We're getting you out of here."

Louis looks in the direction of the familiar voice. "I'm 'not' leaving all these people behind if something is wrong. Give the backup generator time to kick in first."

"Look, I said I'm okay," protests Pelan as the one checking on them reaches out to touch their shoulder. "But I don't like being touched. Thank you, th-OWHH!" Setsu, a very large feline Liger hybrid, jolts from his chair to rush toward Pelan, but is too late to prevent the stranger from shoving a blade into the hybrid's gut.

"NO!!" yells the sizeable feline beast as he rushes to help, a large hand grasping at the hoodie-wearing assailant's to pull the knife back in an attempt to disarm them.

This sets off a chain reaction that ripples through the crowd. What was tense and tempered with humor and care explodes into sudden panic. Dolph draws his firearm and tries to push toward the stage through the intense crowd. Miguel puts his back to Louis and keeps an eye out the best he can. There are only two exits: double doors leading out the side and the single door leading into the side room that Louis, Hartford, and Dolph came from that leads windingly out to the same place as the doubles, yet the ones most concerned about leaving can't see to flee.

"You!" Sam pointed to a smaller carnivore, some sort of fox by his reckoning that was frozen momentarily staring in shock yet clearly still able to see through the darkness. The wolf's voice had switched up from the soft calm and soothing tone used when trying to comfort the terrified rabbit, turning instead to to a shout packing a whole lot more fire behind its words. "Take him and get clear! Don't get caught in the crowd!" A pause. He was still standing there. Rooted to the ground. "What in the hell are you doing still standing there!? Go! You can see, rest of 'em can't! Move and help them!"

What happened next was less a result of planning and forethought. It was a reaction. Instinct, no real plan or strategy save for Citadel's training drills drove Sam forward as he lunged towards the knifeman. First he tried to make a grab at his wrist, digging his claws in deep, hoping to apply enough pressure for him to let go of the blade while with his other land a heavy blow to the side of his head, hoping to knock the man to the ground!

Setsu is big, but the stranger with the blade is surprisingly strong. Then again, the Liger really isn't much of a fighter. If anything, his mixed blood results in some health issues that makes this a real stretch in personal endurance and energy. His teeth bare as he struggles for control of that knife hand, but the blood from the now collapsed and wheezing Pelan makes getting a hold difficult. The assailant yanks the blade away, catching Setsu's palm in the process, setting the large guy to recoil before jerking backward to avoid a sudden follow-up slash.

Just as the blade begins to swing again, another hand intercepts, although the sudden burst to get there may have knocked a few beasts aside. Dolph keeps his gun trained on the fight, but works on getting Hartford and the other nearby guests away through the side room. The gazelle on the far side of the stage doesn't move, though, and it's too dangerous to try to get him by the scuffle otherwise.

While claws may grip that wrist, adrenaline is running too high for pain to factor into the fight. The punch at the stranger's head 'just' misses being direct as the figure twitches their head to the side -- amazing reaction skills demonstrated -- that does manage to knock the hood of the sweatshirt back to reveal their face...just as the generator kicks in, the lights come up by half, and the broadcast resumes. However, instead of a skunk/aardvark telling a story, there's a wolf, a liger, and a hare fighting center frame.

Screaming ensues and many guests that weren't able to flee now do. Yet, not all take off. Many Carnivores and a few Hybrids remain. Blinking at the returned light and quickly taking stock of the situation, Louis yells commands.

"Keep the broadcast going! Miguel, Dolph has the stage. Help evacuate some of these animals and call enforcement." It's only then that Louis notices the danger is...a hare?!

Pelan notices, too, and cries out wetly in realization from the stage floor near Sam's feet. The lapine aims a retaliatory kick at the inside of the wolf's right knee.

Sam couldn't end this fight in one knockout punch like planned. He saw that much now. This hare was fast. Light on his feet. The Liger man perhaps not so much, the wolf could see that he was both likely untrained and already flagging, something made only worse by the chunk ripped out of his large hand dripping red onto the wooden boards of the stage. Sam adjusted his footing, widening his stance, though braced and ready to ride the blow as he was the hare's powerful kick still nearly sent him down to one knee.

The lights didn't help either. His eyes, having adjusted to the darkness of the room now momentarily blinded by the glare, no doubt allowing the hare to get yet another solid blow in. Sam would do his best to deflect, to minimise the damage but even with that there was only so much the wolf could do. He needed to regain control, and do it fast. The weapon was still a factor. He had to take control. Knife arm was already injured, he grabbed at it, tried to get a good grip again so he could keep the blade away. Next, a body blow. a swift knee to the gut, followed by a strike upwards with the heel of his palm to the nose of his hopefully stunned target and finished with a hard throw to the ground if he could manage to pull it off.

If he had the time, be it either finally incapacitating the knife wielding hare man or just simply his offensive buying him a brief moment he'd quickly glance over to the liger, just long enough to tell him to help Pelan and to apply pressure to the wound. As for the attacker, well, Sam was fairly certain he had that in hand by this point. Whether that confidence was misplaced or not was anyone's call.

Dolph winces as the lights cut back in, as well, but tries to keep his firearm trained on the attacker. His sights bob within focus, but he's just not able to get a clean shot with the scrapping. It doesn't help that he notices the one in the hoodie is a Hare, of all things. "An...an Herbivore?" It didn't make any sense.

One coyote rushes over to finally give the rabbit some assistance that Sam had called for help on before rushing to the stage. Stooping over a bit, the Coyote slips an arm around the Rabbit's shoulders to help support in their evacuation through the main double doors, where most who leave are heading. The remaining Carnivores and Hybrids that choose to stay, along with two very intrepid camera operators, keep an eye on things to help if they can. Local enforcement is very much made aware and medical is accompanying them on the way. A few local news outlets tune in to the broadcast with a breaking report on the incident, but they only know as much as everyone else.

Helpless in watching the brawlers trading blows, the large Liger instead unwinds his scarf to wrap around his hand before trying to focus on helping the fallen Pelan with some pressure on the stab wound. "Name's Setsu. Sorry, but you might get some tiger and lion blood mixed with your skunk and aardvark blood," he winces.

Not at all wanting the fallen hybrid to get any help, his dodging and blocking are weakened by his side advance and attempt to kick the wall of feline away. Tethered by the hold on his knife hand, however, this advantage allows some control over his positioning which results in a few nasty blows and a toss to the ground. Head thunking against the wooden floor, blade clattering away to land at the frozen gazelle's feet, the hare rolls a few times into the now emptied chairs that recently held guests. Pushing their chest and head up from the stage floor a little, the lapine spits in Pelan's direction. There's real venom in that gesture, though thankfully not literally.

Miguel walks away from Louis at this point to cover the main exit with Dolph near the side; the stabber isn't going to find an easy exit.

"It all makes sense now," says Louis, the ballroom able to share his voice easily despite the room's size. "How else would that hare be able to see in the dark to attack somebody?" Pelan gazes over at the hare with a shaky head. Could it be true?

Satisfied enough that the hare was both disarmed and properly punted in equal measure with all his avenues of escape blocked by this deer speaker's security team, he jogged over to Pelan and Setsu and knelt down next to the downed anteater, sliding a little on the polished stage before he came to a stop.

"Hey, could'ah been a whole lot worse than that. I'm Sam by the way. Nice to meet the both of ya', just wish it were under better circumstances."

He paused, the coppery tang of spilled blood hitting his nose, the wheezing breaths hitting his ears. Neither were a good sign. Sam was no doctor, but, he didn't need to be one to deduce that blade probably punched a hole through somewhere it really shouldn't have.

"Right." He said. "Ok. So I ain't used one of these in anger before, but, this ought'a help." With that he retrieved a small metallic canister from his pocket. It was grey and trapezoidal in shape, looking almost like a solid piece of featureless aluminium save for a medical cross emblazoned on its surface. He tapped on the side of it with a knuckle making a small ting sound before the strange box seemed to unfold itself with a hiss and a click. There was a brief pause, then what looked almost like a grid of blue-green lasers rapidly flittering and tracing over the stab wound.

He held it steady, even when the gob of spit landed mere feet from him gained only a flipped middle finger in retort rather than even a look the hare's way. Slowly, centimetre by centimetre the wound seemed to near painlessly fill in and seal as the strange medical device gave one last clunk and whirr before sealing back into its seemingly solid block form once again. "Now don't move around too much yet. I just patched it, yer still gonna need to get it checked out properly."

In all the excitement, all the drama, Sam had forgotten the cameras recording his every move, not to mention the room full of witnesses to what he just did. It didn't hit him until a few seconds after he put the now depleted kit back in his pocket. A brief snarl twitched his lip, a muttered "damnit" under his breath, played off with an excuse about how his knee hurt after that scuffle. That part weren't even a lie really.

He looked over when he heard another voice. Perfect. A distraction. Don't draw attention to it. He'd broken enough of Citadel's rules already today. "This makes sense to you? 'Cause I'm struggling to piece it together." His attention then turned to the would be attacker. "What was your endgame here, huh? Why'd you do it?"

There is much confusion as to what is going on, why it's happening, what Sam is doing, or why it's working as it is, but that doesn't stop the patched-up Pelan from filling in the gaps for the wolf the same way he did for him: "...he's a hybrid?" The hare snarls. Pelan wheezes loudly. "...all this time? All this time?!" The injured skunkvark coughs at the effort needed for the exclamation.

Shaking from anger, the hare trembles in place on the floor. "It's your fault. I was fine until YOU started getting near us; near ME." Pelan only recalls the one incident from many years back. They've long been adults since. "No matter where I turned in school, there you were. Filthy hybrid from filthy parents, sending their filthy germs to learn with the rest of us as if you were some kind of EQUAL?! And then you SAT. WITH. US. You made me have to beat sense into you and your blood- You got blood on me. YOU DID THIS. You MADE me like this. Like YOU!"

Hybrids are't contagious. They're purely genetic. Most know that. Maybe facts don't matter here.

"I came from PURE parents! ...came from p- pure. Blood. CLEAN BLOOD!"

For those that have experience on the street, among the wildest of hungry Carnivores committing the most awful of deeds, there are signs that are noticed that those not familiar with the Beasts on Beast Island might not keen. There's something different. The hare drools more. His pupils change size. His jaws get...bigger? By the time the changes might be noticeable, it's too late. The hare bares carnivorous teeth and herbivorous quickness lends to a blur of motion toward the wolf and the injured hybrid almost near the blink of an eye. Louis doesn't even have time to elicit a warning from his position behind the crowd.

BLAM!!

An ear-splitting crack shoots through the air and the hare tumbles from the charge to collapse into a weak writhing pile. People in the room yelp from the loud noise before they even know what it is.

Dolph lowers his smoking gun slightly, yet keeps it at the ready.

Sam was plenty quick to react himself. He stepped in front of the skunkvark, lips drawn back in an involuntary snarl as he readied himself for a second brawl. The wolf didn't seem to even flinch even at the borderline monstrous change in the hare's appearance, even with bigger teeth wild eyes and a lot of drool a crazed albeit disconcertingly fast man with big floppy ears didn't compare much to what the insectoid hives could spit out in terms of horror. He barely had the time to get himself back to his defensive stance though, not even getting halfway through shouting about a 'round two' mixed with a few choice curses mixed in before that gunshot rang out and the hybrid hit the ground.

"Huh." Sam likely breaking the silence with that one, still looking at the downed hybrid having tracked him all the way to the floor. "Nice shot." He stepped over, now kneeling down next to the hare though this time keeping a bit more distance than he did with Pelan. He took the time to try to assess the man's injuries before speaking up. He seemed to be still moving at least, that was probably a decent sign. "Yeah unfortunately for you, I used the only charge I had on guy you stuck. Now, are you gonna try and bite me if I try and stop you from bleeding out all over the floor? Surprisingly 'nough I don't particularly want to see anyone die here today if I can help it."

"It's just his hip," offers Dolph the Lion while lowering his gun and removing his finger from the trigger once Sam gets closer to the hare-brid. "Won't be standing to lurch, but he might still bite. Let the medics patch him up, I say." The crowd murmurs a bit, what handful of them are left remaining, until a voice from the back speaks up.

"If I didn't have the experience to know better, I'd say all you wolves are the same. You can't always be the hero." It's Louis. "Still, at the least we should all give...Sam, was it?...a round of applause for stepping in to protect our guest so quickly. We need more animals ready to step up to fight hate against equality."

The deer gives a polite clap, but soon many of the others chip in with their own applause, and Carnivores can be quite loud. Louis does stare a bit directly, but others do, too, in their own way. Still, from a distance it's hard to tell just how much politeness, gratitude, and scrutiny there are in mixed amounts. Oh, and the cameras are definitely still on.

Sam took a little longer to stand up, spending a few moments just to make sure that bullet hadn't severed an artery or anything more dramatic. With so much blood in the air already it was hard to get much of an indication save for a slightly disturbing realisation that humanoid hare blood smelled almost identical to the more mundane less evolved form he was familiar with. His ears and eyes still worked fine though. No large pools forming under him and no sound indicating such either. "Clean shot too. Expected more trouble with you hittin' him there." He got back to his feet, wincing slightly on that still bruised knee. "Hngth. Ow. Yeah better you shot him than me then, I don't think I'd have been so tidy."

It was at that point when he noticed all the cameras proper. He locked up for a moment, now that the immediate violence had stopped it actually gave chance for him to think what he just did through. His calls were right, no doubt, at least in his eyes yet that didn't change the fact that said calls revealed both his face, his name, and a piece of Citadel's advanced tech right there for all the press to see.

Crap.

Still in a way even behind all the cloak and dagger the wolf was still representing his home. His Citadel. Sure they don't know that name yet, but, he figured he might as well at least try to be a good face for it. "Ain't about being a 'hero'. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the tools to do the right thing, that's all."

The scrawny deer lifts a hand in gesture to get one of the camera operators to focus in on him as he picks up a wired microphone attached to a nearby stand that the dieticians could use for announcements. In his other hand, he's still holding his untouched juice. He would like to brush down his jacket and straightens his tie, but he has to make do with a professional, if mildly grim, smile at the camera. "This is Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate, reporting live from the Haku-to Center for City Governance. A hosted event to raise awareness for the mistreatment and bias against hybrid animal species has been interrupted by an individual wielding a sharp implement in order to attack one of our hybrid guests. Correspondence with local beast enforcement and medical emergency units is underway and help is en route to address those that are injured."

"Many of the attendees of the event have evacuated the premises while others have remained in an effort to assist with efforts to detain the attacker until enforcement arrives." A wider camera shot shows those still there. It seems that the deer in charge wants to give the media a comprehensive run down of the events that just happened and what to expect. This doesn't mean that others in the room are silent. Dolph closes in on the downed hare in order to keep a better eye on him. He is part of official security, after all.

"Pretty quick moves for a wolf," Dolph comments to Sam in being closer while his boss gives his little speech. "They teach you that in high school?" It's a rhetorical question, clearly.

Several trains of thought were simultaneously in the proverbial station. Sam's mind was racing. First and foremost was still the matter of drawing so much attention. With that, not to mention all the cameras, his aim of keeping a low profile was probably out of the question. The wolf backed off to the side slightly as Louis started to give his interview, attempting to get out of shot in order to let the deer grab the centre stage. Those lenses had seen enough of him already today he figured, though said shuffling off would have probably been a little more subtle had his still aching knee not protested the motion leading to a slight wince followed by a brief apologetic glance shot the camera's way.

Now standing next to Dolph and out of the direct focus he looked down at the hare again. Sam still couldn't quite make sense of it all. The rambling on blood and purity with so much venom behind those words almost certainly indicated dark things about this society. Sam was just hoping that wasn't a common viewpoint and more of a single madman.

He was still trying to figure out just how he was going to word it when Dolph spoke up. He gave a slightly sharper nose exhale, a slight smile now on his face as he looked back towards him. "Not exactly high school, naw." he said, stretching his leg a little in an attempt to free it up a bit more. Still no dice. Hare people hybrids kicked hard. Who'd have guessed? "Learnt through experience, I guess."

"And just what kind of experience might that be?" follows up the lion with a pretty solid stare. Those eyes of his show his fair share of personal experience, too. For a lion guy, he looks to be in his early thirties, but that X-shaped scar over his face shows signs of fading from time and age. The question asked could probably be asked of him, too.

"...so matter the obstacle before us as a people and a nation, no amount of effort is too great in the fight for equality, and continue the fight we will, but all any of us really want is just peace and co-existence. An existence together that isn't just possible, but worth it! Thank you, but stay tuned as we keep the broadcast going for any further updates."

Miguel chimes in when Louis finishes and puts away the microphone, "Hey, in the end, most everyone is okay. That's worth a celebration! Plum brandy shots would do, don't you think, boss?"

"Miguel, there are two injured beasts over there on the stage," the small deer retorts.

"Sure, but the anteater hybrid-"

"Pelan."

"But the anteater hybrid Pelan is gonna get better and we'll just have to have a round of drinks again."

Louis touches his forehead while his ear flicks rapidly. These lions... With a sigh, Louis shrugs. "Fine, but just this once. Drinks are on me, everyone here is invited." That means Sam, too. However, from behind the counter, a figure rises up from behind it. It's the dietician from before, only he's wearing a gas mask?

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" The beast swings an arm upward and back, something glass-like and shiny in hand, in an effort to fastball it right against the young CEO's unprotected back.
The risk of revealing too much again crossed Sam's mind. He settled for a short and simple "Mostly bad ones", his tone as level, even and perhaps even nonchalant as he could possibly make it sound despite the adrenaline still thumping through his veins and the lion giving that long stare down at him, something the wolf didn't seem to flinch at at all.

He was just turning back to look towards Louis, probably with some sort of comment in mind about the cameras loving the man when he saw the figure behind. Mask. Weapon. Or at least what he presumed to be one. It was too far to charge in. Even at a full sprint it would have taken precious seconds to close that gap even if the counter wasn't in his way. He instead called out a warning, hoping that the members of the security team closer to the action would at least be able to deflect whatever that was coming for the deer!

So much sensory input injected into the sudden situation seems to make time itself slow for some of the animals involved. Heads turn as Sam's outcry of warning draws focus onto the unseen beast now reappeared. Dolph barely has a line of sight from his position and his eyes can only slightly widen. Miguel reaches out to shove somebody aside with one arm as his other hand brings up his own firearm, but from his angle Louis almost directly covers the image of the gas mask-wearing individual behind. Miguel's mouth shapes booming words that echo what Sam has said, but the definition of those words are lost top the sound of blood rushing in the ears to Louis.

Louis' ears swivel and his head turns, before his body can begin to react in dropping posture in a well-practiced effort to lower his position before trying to move, yet he doesn't even have time to fully see the obscured face of the new attacker before something impacts with his back.

The glass ampoule shatters.

At first, it's hard to tell, for Louis, if the wetness that immediately splatters and seeps into his jacket is his own blood as he stumbles forward, but when his nose smells it he realizes it's not his blood at all. A crack of gunfire reports and the deer barely registers the fast sound that whips by his antlers. Behind him, the figure has already begun to take cover to dash away. The bullet misses and debris from the plaster of the wall sprays outward to join the droplets and glass shards midair.

Sam's first thoughts were that this must have been nerve gas. If it was, there was a good chance that at this distance he was already walking dead. It struck him as a little odd that this terrorist wore only a mask if it was though. No CBRN gear, no large rebreather, perhaps it wasn't something so immediately lethal. Either that or the assailant didn't really care too much about getting out of this alive in the first place.

Sam reached for his weapon, pulling out a fairly sizeable revolver from a low profile magnetic holster concealed within his jacket. It was solid matte black in colour, its frame sharp angular and blocky. The wolf barely had time to line up a shot at the fleeing figure, something made harder still by all the movement, care needed to avoid tagging a civilian in the crossfire and the whirlwind of dust kicked into the air by Louis' security team's gunfire, but when he did his weapon's report was not that of a crack like the others but instead a deeper bassier echoing *boom*, followed closely by a considerable orange-yellow flash from its polygonally rifled barrel.

An olfactory shockwave spreads throughout the room with Louis at the center. Each Carnivore and Carnivore Hybrid in the room that each smell it experience something very similar. It's like an electric shock traveling from the nose to the brain where it spiderwebs outward to jump start idle or unused biological processes. Heightened sight and smell, excessive salivation, and increased appetite are the first to hit. For many, bodily changes follow that compliment this shift: larger jaws, longer claws, and even, in some cases, a bulking of muscle mass and tone.

The look on the faces of those experiencing this are a mix of confusion, horror, realization, and ecstasy. They feel their bodies betraying them, can feel their focus of thought shifting to something singular, it feels oh-so-good and yet they don't want it. Even Dolph and Miguel, despite their experiences and professional and emotional loyalties, are not immune to this powerful scent.

Debilitated, Dolph stumbles to the door leading out the side room and opens it enough to growl a loud command for anyone there, including Hartford, to run. The gazelle in the room has enough sense to flee through this door, as well, before Dolph slams it shit and falls back against it, slumping to the stage floor, watching his hands helplessly.

Pelan and the Hare and Setsu and Donna all also have their own reactions, even despite injuries (risking bodily exhaustion because of it), which provides a sudden shifting of the world around Sam. It's not just the Hare Hybrid after all. But why? The smell is intoxicatingly enticing, like the best restaurant smell ever experience ramped up to eleven. On the surface, it doesn't feel much deeper than that, yet the force of such a smell is beyond compelling. It's commanding.

The cameras do not broadcast the extent of this disaster. As the operators succumb, the cameras fall from focus and drift to point at nothing. Only the sounds picked up by the active microphones kick in.

Miguel has the presence to reach out as Louis, now in extreme physical danger and clambering to make it to the double doors out behind where Miguel stands, to grab and pull the deer through the opening, though not without his exaggerated claws cutting through the fabric of the suit; Louis' antlers scrape and cut at Miguel in turn through this awkward and desperate exchange. No simple fancy double doors would hold back the force of the tide welling up the moment the mental dams within the ballroom burst. Even worse, the backup generator for the building will only last for so long. The lights are dimmer and faintly flickering. For Carnivores and the like, this is not a problem. For others, however...

The first thing Sam noticed was the lights. Things got brighter. Colours grew more vivid. His other senses too, hearing, smell, touch. He could feel his heart pounding far too fast in his chest, something that would have been alarming had he still had the mental wherewithal to even consciously take note of it. At this point he was reacting more than anything, moving, shouting, ushering or even in some cases outright dragging as many people as he could to the safety of that nearest exit without even thinking.

By the time he had noticed that Dolph had now shut those backstage doors, Sam had found himself in the middle of the room. People were twisting. Mutating. He couldn't tell whether he was or not along with them. He didn't suppose it mattered too much at this point. He gave another shout as the lights flickered again, calling for anyone who still had the sense to hear to get behind him. To follow him as he made his way to where Louis and Miguel were.

He shouted to the lion, something that he was pretty sure was along the lines of how he was going to get these people, and Louis, to safety. That being said, whether he was listened to or not, he was going for that damn door. Whatever was in the air, whatever it had done to him, though clearly from the outside it had not frenzied him or sent him mad in the same way his body seemingly wasn't holding anything back anymore. Sprains, strains, torn muscles or even worse be damned, he was going to be shoving that lion either through with them or out of the way if he didn't step aside. Or at least, would try anyhow.

Miguel is a strong lion. Easily the muscle of Louis' Lions. Much like Dolph, he's trying to block others from getting out that pose a danger. Anyone in the room is capable of attacking and devouring any Herbivores outside. However, he's just one lion losing his own senses trying to blockade a set of double doors. He presses his back to them, breathing heavily, increasingly hard to 'see' for the blood pumping through his veins. All those animals.

Wait. He has a gun. His murder mitts hold the pistol with some ferocity and he lifts it, to threaten to keep people away from the doors, inside. Those beasts, though. They're innocent. They didn't choose this. To gun them down now... Should he- Should he use it on himself? He can feel the draw. The need. He can smell deer blood mixed in with the cocktail in the air. The doors are closed, but he can smell which way Louis went.

A wolf approaches him with determination. Why wasn't this Carnivore changing? Why did he want to open the way out? "You- DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THEY'LL EAT THE BOSS?" he snarls before throwing his head back to slam against the doors, eyes rolling upward. The whole room is seconds away from a feeding frenzy and only one Herbivore was left behind to leave a convenient trail. He can't let them. He can't. He can't.

The moment those doors open, it'll be a true race against time and the main course only has a shaky head start.

Sam's head was pounding, ears ringing, though being stopped at the door by a lion with a gun in his hands did wonders for snapping even the most muddled chemical flooded mind back to attention. The wolf had holstered his own weapon by this point though in the frantic nature of it the maglocks hadn't quite aligned it flush against his body, the revolver leaving a visible bulge in the fall of his jacket now.

He didn't quite hear what the lion said. Eat the boss? Was that metaphor, or with everyone lurching around, salivating, could that even be literal? He took another step, hands in front of him to show that he had no weapon in them.

"Hey! HEY! Look at me! That ain't gonna happen and I'm gonna make sure of it!" His vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment. "Whatever this is doin', it ain't doing it to me! I'll find him, get him out, and block the door from the other side! Gimme a crack to squeeze through! I ain't letting anyone past!"

Behind the pair, the full extent of the Meat Frenzy is kicking in. And Miguel? Miguel has just enough control left to note the difference in the wolf not having the same reaction. Perhaps the wolf is a hybrid, too, that has enough Herbivore genetics to be somewhat more in control. He quickly nods and allows Sam a chance to slip by, but it has to be quick. He's already pushing back at the others closing in to follow. The last thing Sam might see before exiting is a single tear running down Miguel's face. The first thing he hears on the other side after Miguel has shut the door again is a couple of gunshots.

The hall outside is devoid of animals. The sounds of violence heralded by the vacating Herbivores likely was plenty warning to get out. One way leads to a quicker escape through the front while the other direction would wind toward the back of the building, eventually meet up with the hall leading from the side door of the ballroom, and then lead toward the back where parking is located. Benches and plants and paintings decorate the paths either way and a few vending machines offer canned juices, snacks, and even a few random necessities for personal hygiene. But which way did the deer go?

Why, that's easy to tell.

Super easy.

The scent trail is like a neon glowing pink cloud leading down the hall headed toward the back where the parking lot is.

Sam indeed moved quickly! He backed out of the door, making sure he had any gaps well and truly covered with that larger and imposing black revolver in hand to dissuade anyone trying to rush past. He didn't say anything else to the lion, just a quick nod, then as soon as he got past the threshold he got to work. It wouldn't be much of a barricade, he couldn't tell how much the others had their strength enhanced but if his was enough to shove vending machines into position for a makeshift block he could only assume the others at least could match it. Still. It was a few more seconds. Every one of those was going to count.

He was cautious as he moved, tracking and heading towards the scent as fast as he could yet still checking his corners, making sure nothing was either going to jump out at him or that he was about to run into an ambush. Plus maybe moving a bit more tactically rather than breaking into a sprint'd at least let any bystanders know that he ''hadn't'' gone insane.

It was at that point he noticed a fire panel on the wall. Sprinkler systems. Alarms. The latter could help make people evacuate that much quicker, the former though was of even more interest. Whatever chemical was used, whatever agent, whatever weapon, it was gas based. It was hanging in the air. Throw enough water up and it might force it down to the ground so it couldn't hurt anyone else. He slammed his fist through the glass plate, likely landing a good dent in the wall behind it in the process, flinching as the loud klaxons started assaulting his ears.

He had to continue. Even with all that water tracking the deer'd still be a trivial matter. He must be getting closer by now.

Sam barely has time to follow down the hallway when the inevitable happens. The lights flicker, dim, dim more, then cut completely. The darkened halls and rooms now only get the occasional blip of light as water sprays and alarms scream due to the industrial battery system that powers them.

**************

Moments before, while Sam was still reacting to the initial release, Louis was pulled then shoved out through a door in his bid to escape the danger area. His head jerked as his antlers caught on the way out and Miguel's claws had shredded through his suit jacket, waistcoat, and dress shirt with ease leaving him with a few new bloody marks. At first, there was a moment where he expected Miguel to follow, but that didn't happen. Staring at the closed door for a moment, the deer's mind raced. He couldn't stand still, but what should he do? Where should he go? He looks to the direction of the main entrance and takes a few steps, but pauses, looks around, and instead turns back the other way. If he gets to the company car, he can safely get somewhere isolated.

Step-clack step-clack, his unique footsteps echo down the emptied hall as he sprints to the best of his ability,rounds a few turns, takes a wrong turn once or twice, and has to backtrack down one hall at least once to find the way out. He doesn't know the building well enough to navigate in such a hurry and the current matters of stress don't much help. The dull sound of a few gunshots are heard somewhere else in the building; his pulse begins to race even higher. Turning once more, Louis stops in his tracks. A Carnivore beats against the door leading out to the back lot in a frenzy, but the door doesn't open. Wasn't that one of the attendees?

Suddenly, alarms cut on and water sprays and the Carnivore that somehow got ahead of him begins to look around. In a dash to stay unseen, Louis picks one of the few doors nearby, tries the handle, finds it unlocked and slips inside...just after one last action to help divert attention away. Just in time before the power fails, too.

**************

Somewhere, back behind Sam's chosen path to track down the Horns CEO, the beating on the blocked door continues, but for how long will it last?

The wolf was soaked through by this point. The cold water had done well to shock his system back to its senses, though to say Sam was still unnaturally far more wired than he should have been was an understatement. His heart still thudded in his chest, his mouth was dry, and his hands still holding on to his weapon, albeit lowered by this point, shook no matter how much he tried to steady them. The sprinklers and alarms made his hearing unreliable, but even after the frying it took earlier his nose was still as sharp as ever.

He paused, nose in the air for a moment as he tried to trace the scent again. It was still clear, though the strange chemicals still lingering on the deer's clothes weren't losing their strange effect. Venison, that part was from the nick he'd taken from the lion's claws earlier no doubt, the hare's blood from earlier also smelled kind of like that of the conventional non sapient kind, but that peppercorn sauce it was seemingly paired with Sam was fairly certain just a trick of the mind.

Especially as the next sniff it started smelling more like barbeque.

"Hey!" He called out, stacked up against the side of the door that he was at least fairly convinced the deer was behind. Realising that shouting probably wasn't the best idea to someone already so alarmed, not to mention probably expecting shouting madmen, he lowered his tone a little. "Don't worry, just the guy who saved that anteater earlier. Figured I'd make it a twofer."

There's no response. Not at first. Instead, the smell seems to be muddled in this hall. Part of it is the sprinkler system. Another part of it is the fact that Louis' suit coat isn't on him. That's because it's in the claws of one of the two Carnivores already in the hallway. One is larger, some kind of panther. Another is much smaller: perhaps a lynx. Having sniffed and licked and gnawed through the expertly woven threads for every bit of that enticing sauce, the coat is barely recognizable. Worse is that the two Carnivores present are ones that Sam helped evacuate through the side door. There are no immediate signs of the stag or gazelle. Some of the nearby doors are opened. A few busted up. The exit door almost looks mangled, but it still hasn't opened outward yet. Sturdy door? Or is something blocking it from outside?

It's probably not the best idea to try coaxing the deer out of hiding with danger still about, but thankfully they don't seem that interested in attacking Sam. Or each other. Somewhere, near the other end of the building, the banging comes to an end and a chorus of hungry beasts fills the halls. Also heard, somewhere outside, are the closing in of sirens.

Either Sam needs to take them down or find a way to lure them away or trap them before the rest of the crowd shows up. There's a powered down cluster of vending machines nearby offering snacks and silver vine drinks. There's a cluster of loose power cables shaken loose near the exit door that seem to be part of the fire alert system. Lastly, there's a utility door marked with stairs that 'might' lead to a section of the roof.

Sam sighed. He really thought that was smooth. He paused, both hoping that his dark fur against a the poorly lit background'd make him harder to spot if he did, and trying to regain track of that scent once again. The latter wasn't working. The majority of those chemicals had landed on the coat after all and it was blowing out almost everything else. He'd have to get closer, something that the two maddened cats in the way weren't exactly going to make easy. Sure. They hadn't gone after him yet, but, he wasn't exactly keen to test his luck.

Sam checked his surroundings. Power cables, presumably live and water. Not exactly a great combination. Perhaps useable in defence, but, it would surely be no less lethal than his magnum, and far more likely to harm him just as much. Not an option he wanted to take unless he had to.

A vending machine. Marked with 'silvervine'.

He'd heard of this. First day he was here Sam'd been blasted with adverts. Something about felines. He wasn't really listening of course but it sounded a bit like catnip in how it worked. Worth a shot. Not like there was anyone around to get mad at him smashing open the glass front of a vending machine at this point, though the racket it made was far from subtle.

He grabbed a couple cans, tossed them up and down to check the weight, and then went to put a hole through the side of one with a canine. In his head, the spray'd be more controllable. Spread out the smell of whatever it was, have it all pool in a specific spot. Instead it just shot straight into his face. He let out a loud "BLAGH!", spluttering as he almost dropped the can. The next one he simply decided to shake up and open the normal way instead, tossing them both so they first slammed against a wall and landed a good ways behind the cats!

From there, it was time to investigate the possible paths. At the very least that had gotten the strange chemicals out of his nose. Roof access probably wasn't a good idea, he'd be cornered, though he still raised his nose to try and track it. Then he turned to that thick exit door. Another sniff. Did he go this way?

First one can splats against the door of an office off the side of the hall, then the other, perhaps lending to a fool's hope that sapient, if frenzied, cat people would be so distracted by a refreshing cold drink or two that they'd break off their hunt for the deer. It's the lynx that investigates first while the panther stares dumbly, if not angrily, toward Sam the longer he hangs about. From inside the office there's a crash of furniture soon thereafter. Ears swiveling, the scent of the plant-infused drink finally reaches where the dwindling 'other' smell takes such hold. The larger cat follows, probably offering a good time to try shutting the door, coupled by the fact that the two cats sound like they begin fighting over the leaking cans.

Given the chance and opportunity, at least temporarily cleared of potential dangers, the exit door can get a closer examination. There is, in fact, a vehicle just beyond the door keeping it from swinging outward. The door is ever so slightly open, so a skilled nose or ear could detect that there are a few animals outside, in the lot, not far behind the large car. The deer is probably holed up somewhere in that hall -- Sam's nose seems to think it's the utility closet -- but probably isn't going to risk responding if it draws danger. If he knew better, he might be more likely to show himself. As for the car; well, somebody put it there.

First thing's first, Sam was going to go ahead and close that door, pausing only to flip the pair of cats a double bird as he did so. Also lock and or barricade the thing if it was all possible. Much of the crazy had already worn off so he didn't feel like flipping any more vending machines, just jamming whatever heavy furniture he could find in a nice big pile'd have to do for now. He was about to head on back to that utility closest when he paused, looking at one of the scraps of jacket on the floor. He pulled out his 'phone', held it up, and tried to get a decent scan. There was something coming up, but, not anything the wolf could make heads or tails of. Raw data that Citadel would no doubt have to spend weeks working through just to figure out the basics.

Getting it so drenched probably didn't help either. Then again, making sure that stuff was out of the air and not flying into the vents was a bigger priority.

His voice was much lower than last time when he again found himself stacked up against the side of that utility closet door. It'd also lost most of the attitude. Much more genuine than Sam's attempt to sound 'cool' before. "Listen if you're in there, the hallway's clear. For now. I said to one of your lion buddies that I'd get you out, and I ain't planning on becoming a liar today. You got an evac plan?"

There's a heaving sound, deer grunting, as something inside the room is shifted to the side. Seems moving furniture around is the secret word of the day. It takes a moment, the door handle turns and the door opens, only to catch on something, so the door shuts again, something else is struggled with, and the door finally opens again. All the way.

A very soaked-through and shivering deer stands there with a miserable appearance despite his measured stare. "You again." Arms clutching his own form to retain as much heat as he can, the deer 'still' looks both ways up and down the hall to make sure nothing is there to ambush him. Once he sees it appears to be clear, the deer begins to walk past the wolf toward the exit door. "All right, ...Sam Twofer. We get out of here first and then you can tell me why you aren't trying to kill me instead."

Of course, the door is blocked. "Ah, mother fucker!" A far less powerful fist beats on the door now. "Who the hell parked in front of the door, are you trying to get animals killed?" Another crash of furniture from not too far away, from behind a crudely blocked door leading into an office, gives Louis pause. He looks between Sam and the office door.

"Did you hear that?" asks somebody from outside.

"Hello?" asks another.

Louis violently shakes from the wet chill and his teeth begin to chatter. He really can't handle being cold well at all.

Sam was looking plenty soaked through and bedraggled himself, though definitely of a species more suited for the cold. Little bit of rain never stopped a wolf after all, even if that rain had been indoors in this case. "Me again." He said, managing a smile despite it all, though that dropped just a little when Louis brought up the whole 'why you aren't trying to kill me thing' part. "Why would I do that?"

Sam flinched at the noise, ears folding back for a moment. "Yeaaah, I should'a used more silvervine, 'cos wow those are some pissed off kitty cats in that office there. I think they liked your jacket by the way. Or hated it. Hard to tell. Right. Door" He landed a much more forceful blow down against it, yelling at those outside likely a fair bit louder than Louis did. "Move the damn car! We're trapped in here!"

"Something happened in there. A Carnivore tried to attack me. Us. I used the car to block the door." As if it weren't obvious enough. Really.

Louis narrows his eyes in great annoyance. He knows that voice. He attempts to raise his voice, too. "Yes, now let us out by moving the damned car or I'm going to dock your pay! ...the things I'm ready to do with a can of silvervine drink myself, Sam..."

The stag named Hartford jolts in surprise. "Mister Louis?! Right away, sir." Louis passes a look to Sam close to that of a disappointed father. "I just need to get my keys out, and then..." A door opens and the engine starts.

"...wait, did he just say 'his' keys?" the deer asks of the wolf. Louis widens his eyes in realization just as the car pulls forward with a nasty scraping sound, half pulling the exit door off its hinges from its previous abuse, leaving the way out to swing awkwardly open. "Your company car?!" Louis cries out as he hurries through the door, arms raising, seeing the terrible damage far beyond just the paint.

Behind Sam and Louis' getaway, at the other end of the hall, the crowd of frenzied Carnivores have finally caught up. Louis is distracted and chilled and doesn't notice in order to say anything.

"Something happened in the-" Sam cut himself off, his mouth hanging open a little for a moment. "You kidding me? Yeah and that *something* is gonna happen to the both of us if you don't move out of the damn way!" He stepped back a little ways, firstly so that maybe he'd be able to keep them back further at best or buy a little time at worst should any more of those carnivores show up and secondly to give the deer a little bit more space. The look he returned wasn't quite the same, there was more exasperation than disappointment in his case. "This fuckin' guy. Argh, 'least he's moving it *now*. Took him long enough."

"Keys? Yeah, yeah I think he di-" The sound of footsteps cut him off. Lots of them, all with fast, frantic, almost uneven gaits. Sam's ears swiveled one after the other locking in on that sound even before the blood frenzied crowd rounded the hallway, just catching the first of them out the corner of his eye. "Aw hell! We got bigger problems comin' at us fast!" He followed closely behind, stepping out backwards and slamming what was left of the door shut behind him, or, at least as close to it as he could make it. "We're gonna need that car back or somethin' even heavier! Dunno how many but I just saw a *whole* lot runnin' up!"

The larger stag looks into his rear-view mirror as he pulls forward to clear the way and is visibly relieved to see Mister Louis step out, along with a Carnivore? Instead, however, this wolf pushes the door shut, for as much as it can and with great metallic complaining from the damaged frame and hinges, and widens his own eyes a bit as Sam calls out to back the car back into place again.

Louis seconds this motion as he has his attention drawn to see the same mess, or as much as he can through the one-hinged diagonally hanging door, rapidly backing out of the way. "You heard the wolf: block the door!" Hartford puts the car into reverse and starts to back up, but a damaged fender from the scraping against the building catches in the wheel well, turns into a bad angle, and begins a horrible grinding sound that leads to a pop, smoke, and eventual sparks! With effort and more damage, the car bumps into the brick of the building once more as it messily forces itself into place.

A familiar banging resumes. Louis half-collapses onto his butt right there on the lot to leave a moist mark with his wet form, while exhaling in exhaustion. Hartford quickly exits the car with a startled yelp, especially as a clawed hand reaches through a gap in the door through the now busted left-hand (passenger's) window, and looks to Sam in bewilderment.

The wolf shoved back against the door as hard as he could manage, trying to force it back as far into its frame as possible! He barely had room enough to get clear himself, tucking and rolling just as the vehicle slammed down hard against where he was standing just a second ago! Sam landed in a rough halfway sitting position, able to do little more than stare up at the chaos unfolding right there in front of him. He stayed there for a moment trying to catch his breath. His lungs felt ragged in his chest, his heart pounding. Whether that was an after effect of the chemical attack or just that of a more natural outcome of the day's events he wasn't exactly sure.

His vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment, tunneling in on the edges. He could feel his body screaming at him now, his muscles feeling like he'd run every single one of them raw. With another curse muttered under his breath the wolf let himself collapse backwards onto the pavement as he simply tried to focus on controlling his breathing. In. And out. Slow. Steady. The only move he made for the next half-minute or so apart from that was a raised thumbs up to that driver. He couldn't tell what that look was right now. Concern? Confusion? Perhaps a bit of both? He hoped the gesture'd suffice in either case.

He soon had himself propped back up on his elbows as he looked towards Louis. First as a quick double check to make sure no one had taken a chunk out of him during the escape, and second, well.

He had some *questions* after that one. The trickiest part was even thinking up where to start. He figured he'd just shoot off several at once. "what the hell even happened back there? What did that guy in the mask do to them? How?" A pause. Then another question. This time in a more gentle tone than the others. "You uh, are you OK? Probably should'a led with that one."

Louis sits there for the moment, plenty of different trains of thought running through his head, trying to logic anything that just happened. He presses a hand to his forehead and quietly thinks. At least, outside, the sound of the fire alarm is duller, even if it's offset by the sirens of beast enforcement and medical on the other side of the building. Only a matter of time until they show up and discover them so long as they just sit there and wait. "I'm..." Louis begins with a raise of his shoulders, only to slump them again as he adds, "Unsure."

Hartford takes off his own coat and drapes it around the shoulders of his shivering boss, but has little to add. He's still trying to catch himself up on everything that just happened. Louis wearily looks at the car and the door and building beyond. "That's not normal. You know. Meat drunkenness doesn't make them so mindless. A Carnivore that desperate for meat would have already found the stairs up or a window by now." They are in no way trapped inside, after all. Not really. The scrawny deer pulls his knees up and rests his head against them sidelong, staring over at Sam in the process. "Why weren't you affected like them? No cravings? General alertness? Clearly it made you more bold if you're spouting 'twofer' lines as a first choice." It might be hard to tell if that last line is meant to be harsh AND funny or just harsh. Tiredness wipes away any potential for humor in his current expression.

Sam looked drained. Exhausted even. Like a man who had gone without sleep for days only to have been forced to run a triathlon after. His replies had become slower, as if the wolf was having to take time to even register what was being said. "Guess I'm built different." Came his first answer when he spoke again. Though it didn't take him much longer than that to give something a little more concrete. "Everything smelled real weird. Felt weird too. Dunno how to describe it but, I ain't ever been wired like that before. Was uh, felt like I was panicking almost but I-I wasn't. I just kept going. Did what I had to do." He tried to move, to sit a little more upright, though a stabbing pain in his head, churning in his gut and vision blurring at the corners forced him to reconsider. "Argh. Gone and done now though, just feels like there's an ice pick lodged in my eye now."

The 'twofer' comment actually got something almost close to laughter out of Sam, albeit briefly, and more just a sharper exhale than anything else. The idea of letting out a proper one didn't appeal, not when he was in such a state as this already. "Not gonna live that one down, am I? Yeah well, was just the first thing that popped into my head. I didn't have neither the time nor the faculties to think of anythin' better. Brain was burning. Sorry that savin' yer damn life didn't come with wittier repartee."

"It's not ''my'' life I'm worried about right now, though, to be curt. It's the lives of the animals in there. Or the animals that were watching. It really pisses me off to think some watched with hope only to now be confused and scared. Terrified. But..."

Louis adjusts his prosthetic leg before making the effort to push back up onto his feet. "That's why they call it terrorism, and... I'm damn sure not going to take this without a powerful pushback." The deer walks closer to the car and leans in to peer through the gaps at those affected. He might even catch a glimpse of familiar eyes.

"I hope they get better. Soon. We need a message of resilience." A thoughtful frown rests upon the deer's face. "You had to leave Dolph and Miguel behind in the mess, then? Miguel was the lion that pushed me out." A hand moves to the sore scratches on his shoulder. It's clear that those of the security detail mean more to him than just hired help.

"Didn't have much of a choice. They were both halfway turned. Like a cheesy horror movie or summin'. Miguel. That was the one I made that promise to get you out to." He made another attempt to get back to standing, this time at least getting partially there, back up to a half slumped over kneeling position before his body's protests halted him in his tracks again. "

"Whoever did this. They weren't looking to just kill people. If they were that'd been a nerve agent in that tube and we'd both be long gone. They wanted somethin' real flashy instead. This was a statement." He reached out, hand thunking against the body of the car as he tried to haul himself back up. This time he managed it, albeit, shakily. "Guh, fffu- Hokay'. Not gonna puke at least. That's good. That's real good." It took him a little to continue, a moment taken to catch his breath again. "Doin' this'd take resources. A will. Tight planning. You pissed off anyone that'd fit that bill?"

He too was looking over towards the door by this point. From his angle he could see far less, hands reaching out, maybe the occasional eyeshine in the darkness. "It wore off on me already and they ain't trying to kill *eachother* in there so, as long as nothing else happens, right? I ain't run into anything like this before."

"Neither have I. Not exactly like this. There are plenty that don't like my progressive influence. Many that have their own resources. I can fancy a guess, but guesses won't help anybody right now. We need facts. I'll offer to help fund some forensic study on whatever hasn't washed away. Gizou Medical might be able to do some quick lab work, maybe see a lead to follow in a few weeks. Blood work on the victims in there, too. Hopefully this is one and done and not something...more permanent."

Ear flicking twice, Louis turns away rubbing at his temple. Off to one side, flashlight beams sweep around the lot and footsteps herald the approach of other people. "Mister Louis, sir. Enforcers are here," informs Hartford who turns away to wave them down, walking in their direction.

"Might need to do some bloodwork on you, too. If you're somewhat immune to whatever that was, it may help create a treatment. Or, even better, a preventative measure." Louis says this as he walks over to Sam to look up at him, perhaps in order to gauge his reaction. Despite his tiredness and physical misery, his large eyes show only determination.

Sam's thoughts turned back to the chemanalysis scan he took on his disguised datapad. Even he could tell that scrap of clothing the cat people were chewing on still reeked of it even through the deluge, and as sharp as his nose was, 56th century sensors were vastly more finely tuned than even the absolute best any biology could muster. On the flipside though, revealing that data, especially its source, that would be even more telling than the glittertech trauma kit he used to patch the anteater back together.

He looked towards the incoming police. Hartford seemed to have them distracted at the very least. Sam had used his technology in front of cameras, had clearly, albeit with the best intentions already interfered far beyond what the rules allowed. The die was already cast.

Citadel couldn't remove his Nomad certification twice.

He pulled out his 'phone', fortunately undamaged by all the indoor rain and waited until nobody but the deer was looking. Sam placed his palm on its screen and slid it across, a hologram flickering to life above it, floating a few inches in the air. "Might have something a little more advanced than your forensic team. Not that sendin' them out still ain't the right call. I'll make this data available to you, just, don't say where it came from."

The holodisplay showed a 3D image of Louis' tattered suit jacket, a few sections highlighted with a long list of chemical compounds. Some were clearly just from the environment, others still were more likely the base materials itself, but some were no doubt more anomalous. "It's still cookin'and this ain't a specialised chem sniffer, but I'm pretty sure it'll get somethin' at least. Especially given how much that crap reeked."

With that, he slid his palm back over, the hologram fading as if it were never there and the only thing in his hand was a standard nondescript smartphone. "If bloodwork helps too, then go ahead. I ain't got no objections, especially if it helps counter whatever the hell this all was about."

Louis' eyes lower from Sam's face to the device so handheld. His eyes show an amount of surprise amid the private glow of the hologram, but it very quickly fades into a business tone upon that piece of the puzzle fully clicking into place. He listens, though, and watches to what is shown. When all is said and done and the offer for bloodwork is given, the small deer crosses his arms. "It might help, but not in the way I was hoping." There's a knowing glimmer in those expressive eyes.

Louis has traveled abroad. He's seen many things, invested in a few, but left most back where it originates. Sure, beasts have advanced palmtop devices that can call people or send wireless information, but with the current state of the nation and the almost nonexistent governing body or military force it's always been a wonder if, in spite of everything else in the mechanical-technological realm the beasts consider modern, the near anachronism of such advanced electronics came from outside influence or were backwards engineered from something a visitor left behind. He knows the entire breadth of technological advances his people are capable of...and this is beyond that scope. Therein...

Sam isn't a local. Sam isn't even a Carnivore, in the domestic sense. That explains so much.

Louis doesn't question it. Instead, he replies with a question of his own that might seem a bit unrelated: "Do you have identification that won't have enforcement wanting to cart you to the local office for questions? Or are we going to break even with me bailing you out...here in the next few seconds?"

Hartford and the officials are walking over.
</big>

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2025-06-12 - Hybrid Breeds and Mixed Deeds

2025-06-13T05:36:13Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Hybrid Breeds and Mixed Deeds |Summary=The Hybrid Appreciation Event is underway, funded by the Horns Conglomerate and hosted by Louis the Red Deer. Howev..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Hybrid Breeds and Mixed Deeds
|Summary=The Hybrid Appreciation Event is underway, funded by the Horns Conglomerate and hosted by Louis the Red Deer. However, despite the roster of speakers for the event, a handful of special guests have decided to attend, as well! However, not everyone is on their best behavior.
|Who=[[Louis]], [[Sam_Walker]]
|Date=June 12, 2025
|Where=Haku-to Center for City Governance, Denko City, Beast Island
|Log=

Behind closed doors, a small deer talks to a larger stag while a lion stands near the exit. His clothing and image are immaculate from the trim of his claws, the shine of his antlers, to the fit of his three piece suit. The fabric is rich, silky, and colored a dark maroon. The look on his face shows a different hue altogether. Piercing eyes look upward to the stag while hand motions reveal a rather heated conversation. All the same, his voice volume is kept low so nobody outside the room can hear.

"...and we're going to make enemies today over this, Hartford. Publicly. I'm expecting retaliation financially, sure, but there are monsters in the dark waiting for excuses to fight battles or wage war. That's- That's what we're doing today. Again."

Hartford, the older stag, appears to be a well-seasoned businessman and is one of Louis' most trusted assistants regarding the overarching duties of Horns Conglomerate. Not just a yes-man, the stag speaks in a professional tone and manner and addresses his boss with the respect that comes with the position. "Nothing that you cannot count on us to weather, Mister Louis. I have the same faith in your judgment as I did with your late father's."

There's a pause, a short-lived grimace, then an internal frown at the mention of Oguma. Louis cannot help but compare his own vision with what he feels his father, Oguma, and his extremely missed friend, Ibuki, would suggest or do. It's not second guessing. It's trying to stay true to the self despite how things change. "I know... No holding back now."

"It's time, boss," states the black-suited lion. Dolph has been paying attention to the talks outside and is ready to accompany his boss as security for what's about to happen.

"Of course it is. Is my tie straight?" asks the small deer of the lion that towers over him.

"You look great, boss. Now show them what my boss can do when he sets his mind to something he wants."

Hartford doesn't understand the reference, but close history between Louis and Dolph dictates a different image. Louis simply smiles, just a bit. It really is the same as before. One faction playing at war with others over the fate of innocent souls caught up in the middle. Dolph opens the door but the deer that steps through first isn't Louis the Drama President or Louis the University Student or even Louis the Business Husband. He's not Louis the Best Friend or Louis the Ex-Lover or Louis the Almost Beastar. He's not Louis the Statistic.

Louis the Former Shishigumi Boss steps through the door and turns to walk out onto the stage of the converted ballroom of a City Hall. While not the Denko Metropolitan Government Building, this building is better for social functions that include or benefit the city and is often used for political rallies. The sizable ballroom offers plenty of space for the public venue and the area is filled not only with guests, but also tables of refreshments and food for differing beasts with at least two vetted dietary practitioners on-hand to help determine what is safe for consumption for each guest. In addition, multiple studio-sized cameras are set up to record most angles of the stage and some of the rest of the room, each manned by media personnel.

There is some clapping and cheering as Louis appears, walking by many others already on the stage, sitting, as if for a purpose. Unlike most of the easy to identify beasts around, most of those sitting and clapping seem to be...mixed breeds. Louis waves and smiles in a professional way, Dolph stands close but not too close, and Hartford passes Dolph to walk over along with his employer. He gets an introduction from a Carnivore host, yet then steps up onto a platform behind the podium so that his diminutive size doesn't impact his visibility. His metal right 'foot' clinks against the pedestal as he does inadvertently drawing attention to it. He leans in toward the bouquet of mics to speak.

"On behalf of the Horns Conglomerate and our goal to raise public awareness and effected positive change for all beasts, I welcome you all to our Hybrid Appreciation Event." Louis can't help but scan the crowd t osee if a certain hybrid friend is present, but the wolf probably forgot he was even invited. Nonetheless, his eyes settle upon each wolf-like guest in turn as he speaks. "As you all well know, Hybrid-Born Species have been only spoken of in hushed whispers for many generations. The recent reconstruction of the former Back Alley-" he states, although leaves out 'market' as the callout alone will already cause distress in many, "-into a residential zone for Hybrid-Born beasts, along with facilities for specialized foods and unbiased education practices, was only the first step. Now that lives have been rebuilt and a measure of living comfort for those discriminated against has been reached, we are now ready to hear directly from them."

Louis half turns to gesture to those sitting behind him with an outstretched arm. "We have some very special guests with us here today that we'll be hearing from. After they have had a chance, each, to tell their story, they have graciously agreed to field any questions you might have for them." He turns back and leans forward, eyes narrowing just a bit. "Horns Conglomerate understands that this may feel to some as a political proposition or movement. While we stand for equality and co-existence, not everyone is ready or willing to allow every beast the same rights and treatment as all others. There are organizations out there whose principals and goals fly in the very face of this basic freedom of living." Louis adjusts his stare to bore into one of the cameras as if looking directly at a very particular civet that already tried to have him killed at least once before.

"I, Louis the Red Deer, welcome any of you so opposed to our just cause to attend a public discussion on the matter in the same vein as our event today. It's only fair that equality be extended to all parties involved, even bigots." Hartford winces a bit at this coarse statement. "Our dedication is to understanding, after all, and, through it, forgiveness and a foundation for a united tomorrow!"

A redeeming final punctuation, perhaps, at least lends to cheering and applause.

Site of interest no.31. The moniker rolled off the tongue like sandpaper by comparison to what the locals called it, though 'of interest' was fitting enough. For its hundred years since its founding day, the colony had only seen just the one animal person. To find themselves watching entire cities full of them through their recon drone feeds, listening to their transmissions and trying to piece together their story from afar, well, that was certainly an 'interesting' development.

Sam's boots were Citadel's first on Denko's ground. Normally the young bio-technologically uplifted wolf would have been a more startling sight, yet in Denko he blended into crowds of animal people like none of their other Nomad surveyors could ever hope. He'd become a little cocky perhaps on this, his second day amongst them. His reports were already a wealth of data far richer than the colony could have ever hoped to have gleaned through their more cautious monitoring, yet what better way was there to really measure the pulse of a place than an event like this?

He paused to take note of the crowd. 'Hybrids' weren't unknown to him, after all, Impids, Dirtmoles, Baseliners, Yttakin, Pigskin and even more besides had all found themselves a home in Citadel much like he had, but here there seemed to be a tension behind it. An uneasiness. Even here, he was hearing applause from one side, then discontented sounding murmurs from another.

With Louis' eyes going from wolf to wolf, they probably wouldn't take too long to land on Sam. The black furred one was listening, fairly intently for that matter, amber eyes looking up at the deer, ears only occasionally swivelling to track on the louder grumbles or occasional odd noise while in his hand he had gotten himself a small selection of things from the buffet sitting on a paper plate. Sam wasn't going to turn down free food. Perhaps he could chalk even this part up as work related. Food is important to culture, after all.

The food, much like the local spiritual beliefs and superstitions, reflect much of an Eastern style. While a number of the foods available are simple -- the easier to monitor dietary restriction -- none seem to involve what most consider to be 'meat'. Then again, the Beast Island doesn't sport any sort of local wildlife as a part of the ecosystem. There are plenty of insects and other base invertebrates, sure, but no small game in the brush or birds flying in the sky other than the local bird 'people', and those beasts have licenses to do so. All the same, were one to ask, a dietician may have simple fish sausage to offer for the Carnivore in need where other protein supplements won't do.

"Our first guest is Pelan the Striped Skunk/Aardvark." No bushy tail to be seen, but he does appear to be a very fluffy anteater. With sharp teeth, a friendly smile and wave show. "Later in the programme we'll also hear from Setsu the Bengal Tiger/African Lion, Jonna the Boar/Silverback Gorilla, and our Guest Star, who isn't a hybrid, but is instead a Gazelle that fathered a hybrid many of us know, and is here to talk about how social bias affects being the parent of a mixed breed."

There are murmurs in the crowd as people recognize the glasses-wearing meek-looking older gazelle only due to association. There are whispers about melon, too, as one fruit bat eating a slice turns to look over in surprise.

"Pelan, if you would please step on up and tell the gathered your story, and may the rest of you give Pelan a welcoming round of applause. Thank you for being here, Pelan." The deer steps down and meets the hybrid with a hand shake before they step up to speak. Louis walks over to Hartford and whispers something, the stag nods, and the smaller of the two wanders to the side of the stage where the steps lead down...where Dolph the Lion stands.

Sam had stuck to the more simple options. Those were safer he figured. Less risk of both eating something he shouldn't, whether that something would have a rogue chunk of onion hidden in it or just have far too much spice to handle with any sort of dignity. That and perhaps it being easier to hide that he was a foreigner even if his accent'd likely be giving that away far sooner. That drawl was hard to hide, and trying probably would have just left him sounding ridiculous anyhow.

He'd just popped something that he was fairly certain was some sort of spring roll into his mouth when he heard the crowd turn again. He paused mid chew, ears on a swivel once more. Something about this gazelle had the crowd tense, even if from where he was sitting he couldn't think of much more of an unassuming figure. He tried to listen in though even with his hearing being as sharp as it was all he was getting was a few words in amongst the background, some coming up more frequently than others, though one kept breaking through. 'Melon'. Sam was guessing by this point they weren't talking about the fruit.

Pelan opens up with a basic introduction, age, and where they grew up in the city. It's a fairly relaxed affair, overall. The speakers can speak, those that want to listen can listen, and those that want to converse can do so without much in the way to disturb others overly. The shape and design of the room help with that a lot. "And like most others my age at the time, I didn't know what other children were picking on me about. I knew I looked different from my mother and father, but I didn't know how that was supposed to be bad."

Louis exits the stage down the steps in order to make his way to the table that offers fresh vegetable juice, but it's not an easy task. Stopped every so often, he shakes plenty of hands and makes a lot of small talk. While the event is sponsored by Horns Conglomerate, it's also a topic of business platforming. The sheer money available for investment is enough to influence city law. It's damningly effective in a way that makes it all too obvious how other organizations, like the Kopi Luwak Research Organization, are able to obtain so much influence through the management and sale of research and information. As such, speaking with Louis is a direct way of interacting with the heart of the Co-Existence Movement.

It's true, though. The content they are openly discussing and broadcasting have been quite taboo and are serious matters with more than one dark side in its history. "That's why we're working hard to bring these important matters into the light. Thank you for being here. Please, excuse me for now, but in the meanwhile you might want to speak with Doctor Grames in attendance today. He could have some insight on your nephew's condition." Louis doesn't shy from such encounters. He boldly meets them, eye contact and all, while a few of his security detail watch vigilantly close by.

Sam took down a few more notes, claw like fingernails clacking slightly against the colony issued datatab disguised within a conventional smartphone's shell. He wasn't so much interested in the specific stories, noting those down only in brief compared to what he was able to glean about the attitudes towards those who could be called 'hybrids'. While he wasn't exactly sure whether that attitude would extend so much as to make these people spooked at the sight of Citadel's population should actual contact be made, it was certainly worth a consideration.

Then again he couldn't help but start wondering if the sight of even just a baseliner human alone would be enough to spook them. He hadn't seen any around since he left the colony, and a lot of these people had apparently been treated almost as though they were monsters on mere appearances alone. Not a good sign, albeit, maybe this talk was indicative of a shift in such things.

He soon found his way back to the table. It was partially to grab another couple of those spring rolls, Sam'd found himself starting to take a liking to them, but mostly to stay within easy enough earshot of this deer without obviously looking like he was snooping on his conversations. Surely there was more to this than just what he'd seen and heard so far.

"I still remember the time -- how could I forget -- when an upperclassman hare approached me after school with some friends. Earlier that day I had sat near them at lunch since every other empty spot was already, uh, taken. You know? Yeah. Heh. So, he walks right up to me and, without warning, socks me right in the nose. I was stunned at first. Surprised. But then he yelled in my face: We don't want any filthy hybrids in our school. Don't come near us again, freak! I wanted to cry, but I was so confused that I just couldn't do anything other than hold my bloody nose as they walked away angrily cheering to each other."

Louis stops at the counter set out to offer drinks. "Vegetable juice. Something green and bitter, if you've got it." For now, he's got a moment to himself, it seems.

"Not two? I was hoping your lovely wife would be here."

"Azuki is meeting with friends for a personal dinner this evening."

"Ah, I understand. Here you go, Mister Louis." A cup is handed over with what looks like a very green juice indeed. He lifts it to his face to sniff it just in time for the lights to flicker and dim. A number of beasts present murmur some mild alarm, but the lights never go out. After a moment passes, the weakened lights restore to full. Louis lowers his cup and cuts a look over to one of the nearby lions, a strong looking one named Miguel, just as Miguel pulls out his phone to make a phone call. A few laughs echo around the ballroom, however, and the talking continues. Louis puts his drink down on the counter and turns away to scan the room, as a precaution. As a habit.

"Mister Louis, your drink, sir."

Something didn't feel right. Sam had almost allowed himself to relax a little before, to take in the atmosphere rather than the potential threats. On the one hand, it was only a flickering light. With his eyes especially that in of itself was a trivial issue, though the whole time he'd been on Denko so far there hadn't been even a hiccup in the grid to the point that the city having well established, if a little primitive by Citadel's standards, infrastructure was somewhere in one of his earlier reports.

He did much the same as the deer and scanned the room for threats, his mind listing the possibilities. Chief among the list was simple happenstance. A gust of wind blowing a pylon in the wrong way, or a fuse popping, yet he couldn't help but think of more 'what ifs'. The topic at hand was, seemingly, a controversy. The speaker had actively called *someone* out earlier.

He let his senses wander the room. Eyes, nose, ears, all three of them trying to gain a better picture than one of them could alone. Eyes scanned for movement in shadows, ears for the fizzle of a mechanoid's EMI dynamo, nose for either mundane frazzled electrics or perhaps the acrid chemical smell of something more untoward.

Of course all that'd be a whole lot easier if he didn't have to be so subtle about it. That and the fact that a room full of people and food creates quite a confusing environment for a snoofter to sift through.

Nothing seems off. Nothing immediate. All of those faces; everybody blends in. Pelan continues to talk. Dolph gazes across the room. Miguel speaks on his phone. Louis flicks an ear and turns back to grab his drink, even if it does smell a bit off. He's now distracted. If something goes wrong, it'll be dealt with, though. He, on the other hand, has to continue to appear strong. It's all made broadcast, after all, and one brief moment of weakness on camera will live on forever.

"But it was resilience in the face of that oppression that other beasts are taught is okay at a young age that I was able to over-" Ka-thunk! The power suddenly fully drops. "-come...that...feeling...of...weakness...and..." Pelan's words go from amplified to merely spoken mid-sentence, almost muted in the face of the muffling darkness.

It's a ballroom. No windows. Just doors. With no light sources, it's pitch dark. For some present, that's not an issue. For the Herbivores, though, there is more than a murmuring alarm. "I can't see anything," somebody says amidst the crowd.

"Somebody check the breaker?" suggest another.

"Guess the city forgot to pay the electricity bill," jokes another voice. "Probably gonna make Horns pay for that, too."

It's not that it's an immediate sense of emergency. It's that it clearly borders on one. Even Louis looks suddenly lost as he stands there. Somebody from the crowd walks up onto the stage, but Pelan waves a hand. "No, it's okay. I can see in the dark. I take after my father like that. Ha, my daughter does, too."

There's other movement, too. Most people in the gathering stay put. Carnivores seem to be keeping close to nearby Herbivores, as well, offering a supportive presence while the issue gets resolved. It's a mixed bag with the hybrids present, though. It feels like a spring being wound up too tightly, more and more and more.

Louis keeps a stern face and at least tries to rely on his other senses.

For a moment Sam was just as blinded as the rest of the herbivores, his eyes taking a few precious seconds to adjust to the sudden loss of the light. In some ways his eyesight was flawed as compared to his human peers. Colour blindness, lesser depth perception, though seeing through the darkness was one area where he had all but the underground dwelling Dirtmoles beat by a considerable margin.

Something inside screamed at him to ready his weapon. To reach into the holster hidden in his jacket and take comfort in the cold certainty of steel in his hand yet more rational thoughts held him back. If he could still see, so could others, and standing there with a revolver after the power mysteriously drops probably wouldn't be a good look.

Instead he settled for redoubling his efforts in scanning the surroundings, all up until a herbivore, an oddly tall rabbit from what he could make out, quite literally stumbled into him. Wired as he was, catching them before they hit the ground wasn't an issue, though the terrified yelp at the feeling of a clawed hand stopping them from falling to the cold hard floor possibly was.

"Whoa, easy. It's OK, I got ya'. You alright?" His voice was low and as soothing as he could make it, though it came through tinged with a drawl and deep gravel that was perhaps a little less common for the region.

"I-I-... I thought- You-"

Came a stammered reply. "And I reckoned I was gonna get through today without the dang ringin' in my ears coming back. Thanks, by the way." He offered a hand up, the rabbit still clinging to him and clearly now more terrified of the dark than the warm voiced wolf man standing in it. "Here, lets get you back on yer feet at least. Just try not to put a hole in my other eardrum while you're at it."

A figure passes beside Sam and the rabbit. They speak up concerning the yelp, as the sound also startles others in the room already on edge, "Somebody just tripped. Stay calm." It's Miguel. "Boss, Hino says it's only our block that went out. We're getting you out of here."

Louis looks in the direction of the familiar voice. "I'm 'not' leaving all these people behind if something is wrong. Give the backup generator time to kick in first."

"Look, I said I'm okay," protests Pelan as the one checking on them reaches out to touch their shoulder. "But I don't like being touched. Thank you, th-OWHH!" Setsu, a very large feline Liger hybrid, jolts from his chair to rush toward Pelan, but is too late to prevent the stranger from shoving a blade into the hybrid's gut.

"NO!!" yells the sizeable feline beast as he rushes to help, a large hand grasping at the hoodie-wearing assailant's to pull the knife back in an attempt to disarm them.

This sets off a chain reaction that ripples through the crowd. What was tense and tempered with humor and care explodes into sudden panic. Dolph draws his firearm and tries to push toward the stage through the intense crowd. Miguel puts his back to Louis and keeps an eye out the best he can. There are only two exits: double doors leading out the side and the single door leading into the side room that Louis, Hartford, and Dolph came from that leads windingly out to the same place as the doubles, yet the ones most concerned about leaving can't see to flee.

"You!" Sam pointed to a smaller carnivore, some sort of fox by his reckoning that was frozen momentarily staring in shock yet clearly still able to see through the darkness. The wolf's voice had switched up from the soft calm and soothing tone used when trying to comfort the terrified rabbit, turning instead to to a shout packing a whole lot more fire behind its words. "Take him and get clear! Don't get caught in the crowd!" A pause. He was still standing there. Rooted to the ground. "What in the hell are you doing still standing there!? Go! You can see, rest of 'em can't! Move and help them!"

What happened next was less a result of planning and forethought. It was a reaction. Instinct, no real plan or strategy save for Citadel's training drills drove Sam forward as he lunged towards the knifeman. First he tried to make a grab at his wrist, digging his claws in deep, hoping to apply enough pressure for him to let go of the blade while with his other land a heavy blow to the side of his head, hoping to knock the man to the ground!

Setsu is big, but the stranger with the blade is surprisingly strong. Then again, the Liger really isn't much of a fighter. If anything, his mixed blood results in some health issues that makes this a real stretch in personal endurance and energy. His teeth bare as he struggles for control of that knife hand, but the blood from the now collapsed and wheezing Pelan makes getting a hold difficult. The assailant yanks the blade away, catching Setsu's palm in the process, setting the large guy to recoil before jerking backward to avoid a sudden follow-up slash.

Just as the blade begins to swing again, another hand intercepts, although the sudden burst to get there may have knocked a few beasts aside. Dolph keeps his gun trained on the fight, but works on getting Hartford and the other nearby guests away through the side room. The gazelle on the far side of the stage doesn't move, though, and it's too dangerous to try to get him by the scuffle otherwise.

While claws may grip that wrist, adrenaline is running too high for pain to factor into the fight. The punch at the stranger's head 'just' misses being direct as the figure twitches their head to the side -- amazing reaction skills demonstrated -- that does manage to knock the hood of the sweatshirt back to reveal their face...just as the generator kicks in, the lights come up by half, and the broadcast resumes. However, instead of a skunk/aardvark telling a story, there's a wolf, a liger, and a hare fighting center frame.

Screaming ensues and many guests that weren't able to flee now do. Yet, not all take off. Many Carnivores and a few Hybrids remain. Blinking at the returned light and quickly taking stock of the situation, Louis yells commands.

"Keep the broadcast going! Miguel, Dolph has the stage. Help evacuate some of these animals and call enforcement." It's only then that Louis notices the danger is...a hare?!

Pelan notices, too, and cries out wetly in realization from the stage floor near Sam's feet. The lapine aims a retaliatory kick at the inside of the wolf's right knee.

Sam couldn't end this fight in one knockout punch like planned. He saw that much now. This hare was fast. Light on his feet. The Liger man perhaps not so much, the wolf could see that he was both likely untrained and already flagging, something made only worse by the chunk ripped out of his large hand dripping red onto the wooden boards of the stage. Sam adjusted his footing, widening his stance, though braced and ready to ride the blow as he was the hare's powerful kick still nearly sent him down to one knee.

The lights didn't help either. His eyes, having adjusted to the darkness of the room now momentarily blinded by the glare, no doubt allowing the hare to get yet another solid blow in. Sam would do his best to deflect, to minimise the damage but even with that there was only so much the wolf could do. He needed to regain control, and do it fast. The weapon was still a factor. He had to take control. Knife arm was already injured, he grabbed at it, tried to get a good grip again so he could keep the blade away. Next, a body blow. a swift knee to the gut, followed by a strike upwards with the heel of his palm to the nose of his hopefully stunned target and finished with a hard throw to the ground if he could manage to pull it off.

If he had the time, be it either finally incapacitating the knife wielding hare man or just simply his offensive buying him a brief moment he'd quickly glance over to the liger, just long enough to tell him to help Pelan and to apply pressure to the wound. As for the attacker, well, Sam was fairly certain he had that in hand by this point. Whether that confidence was misplaced or not was anyone's call.

Dolph winces as the lights cut back in, as well, but tries to keep his firearm trained on the attacker. His sights bob within focus, but he's just not able to get a clean shot with the scrapping. It doesn't help that he notices the one in the hoodie is a Hare, of all things. "An...an Herbivore?" It didn't make any sense.

One coyote rushes over to finally give the rabbit some assistance that Sam had called for help on before rushing to the stage. Stooping over a bit, the Coyote slips an arm around the Rabbit's shoulders to help support in their evacuation through the main double doors, where most who leave are heading. The remaining Carnivores and Hybrids that choose to stay, along with two very intrepid camera operators, keep an eye on things to help if they can. Local enforcement is very much made aware and medical is accompanying them on the way. A few local news outlets tune in to the broadcast with a breaking report on the incident, but they only know as much as everyone else.

Helpless in watching the brawlers trading blows, the large Liger instead unwinds his scarf to wrap around his hand before trying to focus on helping the fallen Pelan with some pressure on the stab wound. "Name's Setsu. Sorry, but you might get some tiger and lion blood mixed with your skunk and aardvark blood," he winces.

Not at all wanting the fallen hybrid to get any help, his dodging and blocking are weakened by his side advance and attempt to kick the wall of feline away. Tethered by the hold on his knife hand, however, this advantage allows some control over his positioning which results in a few nasty blows and a toss to the ground. Head thunking against the wooden floor, blade clattering away to land at the frozen gazelle's feet, the hare rolls a few times into the now emptied chairs that recently held guests. Pushing their chest and head up from the stage floor a little, the lapine spits in Pelan's direction. There's real venom in that gesture, though thankfully not literally.

Miguel walks away from Louis at this point to cover the main exit with Dolph near the side; the stabber isn't going to find an easy exit.

"It all makes sense now," says Louis, the ballroom able to share his voice easily despite the room's size. "How else would that hare be able to see in the dark to attack somebody?" Pelan gazes over at the hare with a shaky head. Could it be true?

Satisfied enough that the hare was both disarmed and properly punted in equal measure with all his avenues of escape blocked by this deer speaker's security team, he jogged over to Pelan and Setsu and knelt down next to the downed anteater, sliding a little on the polished stage before he came to a stop.

"Hey, could'ah been a whole lot worse than that. I'm Sam by the way. Nice to meet the both of ya', just wish it were under better circumstances."

He paused, the coppery tang of spilled blood hitting his nose, the wheezing breaths hitting his ears. Neither were a good sign. Sam was no doctor, but, he didn't need to be one to deduce that blade probably punched a hole through somewhere it really shouldn't have.

"Right." He said. "Ok. So I ain't used one of these in anger before, but, this ought'a help." With that he retrieved a small metallic canister from his pocket. It was grey and trapezoidal in shape, looking almost like a solid piece of featureless aluminium save for a medical cross emblazoned on its surface. He tapped on the side of it with a knuckle making a small ting sound before the strange box seemed to unfold itself with a hiss and a click. There was a brief pause, then what looked almost like a grid of blue-green lasers rapidly flittering and tracing over the stab wound.

He held it steady, even when the gob of spit landed mere feet from him gained only a flipped middle finger in retort rather than even a look the hare's way. Slowly, centimetre by centimetre the wound seemed to near painlessly fill in and seal as the strange medical device gave one last clunk and whirr before sealing back into its seemingly solid block form once again. "Now don't move around too much yet. I just patched it, yer still gonna need to get it checked out properly."

In all the excitement, all the drama, Sam had forgotten the cameras recording his every move, not to mention the room full of witnesses to what he just did. It didn't hit him until a few seconds after he put the now depleted kit back in his pocket. A brief snarl twitched his lip, a muttered "damnit" under his breath, played off with an excuse about how his knee hurt after that scuffle. That part weren't even a lie really.

He looked over when he heard another voice. Perfect. A distraction. Don't draw attention to it. He'd broken enough of Citadel's rules already today. "This makes sense to you? 'Cause I'm struggling to piece it together." His attention then turned to the would be attacker. "What was your endgame here, huh? Why'd you do it?"

There is much confusion as to what is going on, why it's happening, what Sam is doing, or why it's working as it is, but that doesn't stop the patched-up Pelan from filling in the gaps for the wolf the same way he did for him: "...he's a hybrid?" The hare snarls. Pelan wheezes loudly. "...all this time? All this time?!" The injured skunkvark coughs at the effort needed for the exclamation.

Shaking from anger, the hare trembles in place on the floor. "It's your fault. I was fine until YOU started getting near us; near ME." Pelan only recalls the one incident from many years back. They've long been adults since. "No matter where I turned in school, there you were. Filthy hybrid from filthy parents, sending their filthy germs to learn with the rest of us as if you were some kind of EQUAL?! And then you SAT. WITH. US. You made me have to beat sense into you and your blood- You got blood on me. YOU DID THIS. You MADE me like this. Like YOU!"

Hybrids are't contagious. They're purely genetic. Most know that. Maybe facts don't matter here.

"I came from PURE parents! ...came from p- pure. Blood. CLEAN BLOOD!"

For those that have experience on the street, among the wildest of hungry Carnivores committing the most awful of deeds, there are signs that are noticed that those not familiar with the Beasts on Beast Island might not keen. There's something different. The hare drools more. His pupils change size. His jaws get...bigger? By the time the changes might be noticeable, it's too late. The hare bares carnivorous teeth and herbivorous quickness lends to a blur of motion toward the wolf and the injured hybrid almost near the blink of an eye. Louis doesn't even have time to elicit a warning from his position behind the crowd.

BLAM!!

An ear-splitting crack shoots through the air and the hare tumbles from the charge to collapse into a weak writhing pile. People in the room yelp from the loud noise before they even know what it is.

Dolph lowers his smoking gun slightly, yet keeps it at the ready.

Sam was plenty quick to react himself. He stepped in front of the skunkvark, lips drawn back in an involuntary snarl as he readied himself for a second brawl. The wolf didn't seem to even flinch even at the borderline monstrous change in the hare's appearance, even with bigger teeth wild eyes and a lot of drool a crazed albeit disconcertingly fast man with big floppy ears didn't compare much to what the insectoid hives could spit out in terms of horror. He barely had the time to get himself back to his defensive stance though, not even getting halfway through shouting about a 'round two' mixed with a few choice curses mixed in before that gunshot rang out and the hybrid hit the ground.

"Huh." Sam likely breaking the silence with that one, still looking at the downed hybrid having tracked him all the way to the floor. "Nice shot." He stepped over, now kneeling down next to the hare though this time keeping a bit more distance than he did with Pelan. He took the time to try to assess the man's injuries before speaking up. He seemed to be still moving at least, that was probably a decent sign. "Yeah unfortunately for you, I used the only charge I had on guy you stuck. Now, are you gonna try and bite me if I try and stop you from bleeding out all over the floor? Surprisingly 'nough I don't particularly want to see anyone die here today if I can help it."

"It's just his hip," offers Dolph the Lion while lowering his gun and removing his finger from the trigger once Sam gets closer to the hare-brid. "Won't be standing to lurch, but he might still bite. Let the medics patch him up, I say." The crowd murmurs a bit, what handful of them are left remaining, until a voice from the back speaks up.

"If I didn't have the experience to know better, I'd say all you wolves are the same. You can't always be the hero." It's Louis. "Still, at the least we should all give...Sam, was it?...a round of applause for stepping in to protect our guest so quickly. We need more animals ready to step up to fight hate against equality."

The deer gives a polite clap, but soon many of the others chip in with their own applause, and Carnivores can be quite loud. Louis does stare a bit directly, but others do, too, in their own way. Still, from a distance it's hard to tell just how much politeness, gratitude, and scrutiny there are in mixed amounts. Oh, and the cameras are definitely still on.

Sam took a little longer to stand up, spending a few moments just to make sure that bullet hadn't severed an artery or anything more dramatic. With so much blood in the air already it was hard to get much of an indication save for a slightly disturbing realisation that humanoid hare blood smelled almost identical to the more mundane less evolved form he was familiar with. His ears and eyes still worked fine though. No large pools forming under him and no sound indicating such either. "Clean shot too. Expected more trouble with you hittin' him there." He got back to his feet, wincing slightly on that still bruised knee. "Hngth. Ow. Yeah better you shot him than me then, I don't think I'd have been so tidy."

It was at that point when he noticed all the cameras proper. He locked up for a moment, now that the immediate violence had stopped it actually gave chance for him to think what he just did through. His calls were right, no doubt, at least in his eyes yet that didn't change the fact that said calls revealed both his face, his name, and a piece of Citadel's advanced tech right there for all the press to see.

Crap.

Still in a way even behind all the cloak and dagger the wolf was still representing his home. His Citadel. Sure they don't know that name yet, but, he figured he might as well at least try to be a good face for it. "Ain't about being a 'hero'. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the tools to do the right thing, that's all."

The scrawny deer lifts a hand in gesture to get one of the camera operators to focus in on him as he picks up a wired microphone attached to a nearby stand that the dieticians could use for announcements. In his other hand, he's still holding his untouched juice. He would like to brush down his jacket and straightens his tie, but he has to make do with a professional, if mildly grim, smile at the camera. "This is Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate, reporting live from the Haku-to Center for City Governance. A hosted event to raise awareness for the mistreatment and bias against hybrid animal species has been interrupted by an individual wielding a sharp implement in order to attack one of our hybrid guests. Correspondence with local beast enforcement and medical emergency units is underway and help is en route to address those that are injured."

"Many of the attendees of the event have evacuated the premises while others have remained in an effort to assist with efforts to detain the attacker until enforcement arrives." A wider camera shot shows those still there. It seems that the deer in charge wants to give the media a comprehensive run down of the events that just happened and what to expect. This doesn't mean that others in the room are silent. Dolph closes in on the downed hare in order to keep a better eye on him. He is part of official security, after all.

"Pretty quick moves for a wolf," Dolph comments to Sam in being closer while his boss gives his little speech. "They teach you that in high school?" It's a rhetorical question, clearly.

Several trains of thought were simultaneously in the proverbial station. Sam's mind was racing. First and foremost was still the matter of drawing so much attention. With that, not to mention all the cameras, his aim of keeping a low profile was probably out of the question. The wolf backed off to the side slightly as Louis started to give his interview, attempting to get out of shot in order to let the deer grab the centre stage. Those lenses had seen enough of him already today he figured, though said shuffling off would have probably been a little more subtle had his still aching knee not protested the motion leading to a slight wince followed by a brief apologetic glance shot the camera's way.

Now standing next to Dolph and out of the direct focus he looked down at the hare again. Sam still couldn't quite make sense of it all. The rambling on blood and purity with so much venom behind those words almost certainly indicated dark things about this society. Sam was just hoping that wasn't a common viewpoint and more of a single madman.

He was still trying to figure out just how he was going to word it when Dolph spoke up. He gave a slightly sharper nose exhale, a slight smile now on his face as he looked back towards him. "Not exactly high school, naw." he said, stretching his leg a little in an attempt to free it up a bit more. Still no dice. Hare people hybrids kicked hard. Who'd have guessed? "Learnt through experience, I guess."

"And just what kind of experience might that be?" follows up the lion with a pretty solid stare. Those eyes of his show his fair share of personal experience, too. For a lion guy, he looks to be in his early thirties, but that X-shaped scar over his face shows signs of fading from time and age. The question asked could probably be asked of him, too.

"...so matter the obstacle before us as a people and a nation, no amount of effort is too great in the fight for equality, and continue the fight we will, but all any of us really want is just peace and co-existence. An existence together that isn't just possible, but worth it! Thank you, but stay tuned as we keep the broadcast going for any further updates."

Miguel chimes in when Louis finishes and puts away the microphone, "Hey, in the end, most everyone is okay. That's worth a celebration! Plum brandy shots would do, don't you think, boss?"

"Miguel, there are two injured beasts over there on the stage," the small deer retorts.

"Sure, but the anteater hybrid-"

"Pelan."

"But the anteater hybrid Pelan is gonna get better and we'll just have to have a round of drinks again."

Louis touches his forehead while his ear flicks rapidly. These lions... With a sigh, Louis shrugs. "Fine, but just this once. Drinks are on me, everyone here is invited." That means Sam, too. However, from behind the counter, a figure rises up from behind it. It's the dietician from before, only he's wearing a gas mask?

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" The beast swings an arm upward and back, something glass-like and shiny in hand, in an effort to fastball it right against the young CEO's unprotected back.
The risk of revealing too much again crossed Sam's mind. He settled for a short and simple "Mostly bad ones", his tone as level, even and perhaps even nonchalant as he could possibly make it sound despite the adrenaline still thumping through his veins and the lion giving that long stare down at him, something the wolf didn't seem to flinch at at all.

He was just turning back to look towards Louis, probably with some sort of comment in mind about the cameras loving the man when he saw the figure behind. Mask. Weapon. Or at least what he presumed to be one. It was too far to charge in. Even at a full sprint it would have taken precious seconds to close that gap even if the counter wasn't in his way. He instead called out a warning, hoping that the members of the security team closer to the action would at least be able to deflect whatever that was coming for the deer!

So much sensory input injected into the sudden situation seems to make time itself slow for some of the animals involved. Heads turn as Sam's outcry of warning draws focus onto the unseen beast now reappeared. Dolph barely has a line of sight from his position and his eyes can only slightly widen. Miguel reaches out to shove somebody aside with one arm as his other hand brings up his own firearm, but from his angle Louis almost directly covers the image of the gas mask-wearing individual behind. Miguel's mouth shapes booming words that echo what Sam has said, but the definition of those words are lost top the sound of blood rushing in the ears to Louis.

Louis' ears swivel and his head turns, before his body can begin to react in dropping posture in a well-practiced effort to lower his position before trying to move, yet he doesn't even have time to fully see the obscured face of the new attacker before something impacts with his back.

The glass ampoule shatters.

At first, it's hard to tell, for Louis, if the wetness that immediately splatters and seeps into his jacket is his own blood as he stumbles forward, but when his nose smells it he realizes it's not his blood at all. A crack of gunfire reports and the deer barely registers the fast sound that whips by his antlers. Behind him, the figure has already begun to take cover to dash away. The bullet misses and debris from the plaster of the wall sprays outward to join the droplets and glass shards midair.

Sam's first thoughts were that this must have been nerve gas. If it was, there was a good chance that at this distance he was already walking dead. It struck him as a little odd that this terrorist wore only a mask if it was though. No CBRN gear, no large rebreather, perhaps it wasn't something so immediately lethal. Either that or the assailant didn't really care too much about getting out of this alive in the first place.

Sam reached for his weapon, pulling out a fairly sizeable revolver from a low profile magnetic holster concealed within his jacket. It was solid matte black in colour, its frame sharp angular and blocky. The wolf barely had time to line up a shot at the fleeing figure, something made harder still by all the movement, care needed to avoid tagging a civilian in the crossfire and the whirlwind of dust kicked into the air by Louis' security team's gunfire, but when he did his weapon's report was not that of a crack like the others but instead a deeper bassier echoing *boom*, followed closely by a considerable orange-yellow flash from its polygonally rifled barrel.

An olfactory shockwave spreads throughout the room with Louis at the center. Each Carnivore and Carnivore Hybrid in the room that each smell it experience something very similar. It's like an electric shock traveling from the nose to the brain where it spiderwebs outward to jump start idle or unused biological processes. Heightened sight and smell, excessive salivation, and increased appetite are the first to hit. For many, bodily changes follow that compliment this shift: larger jaws, longer claws, and even, in some cases, a bulking of muscle mass and tone.

The look on the faces of those experiencing this are a mix of confusion, horror, realization, and ecstasy. They feel their bodies betraying them, can feel their focus of thought shifting to something singular, it feels oh-so-good and yet they don't want it. Even Dolph and Miguel, despite their experiences and professional and emotional loyalties, are not immune to this powerful scent.

Debilitated, Dolph stumbles to the door leading out the side room and opens it enough to growl a loud command for anyone there, including Hartford, to run. The gazelle in the room has enough sense to flee through this door, as well, before Dolph slams it shit and falls back against it, slumping to the stage floor, watching his hands helplessly.

Pelan and the Hare and Setsu and Donna all also have their own reactions, even despite injuries (risking bodily exhaustion because of it), which provides a sudden shifting of the world around Sam. It's not just the Hare Hybrid after all. But why? The smell is intoxicatingly enticing, like the best restaurant smell ever experience ramped up to eleven. On the surface, it doesn't feel much deeper than that, yet the force of such a smell is beyond compelling. It's commanding.

The cameras do not broadcast the extent of this disaster. As the operators succumb, the cameras fall from focus and drift to point at nothing. Only the sounds picked up by the active microphones kick in.

Miguel has the presence to reach out as Louis, now in extreme physical danger and clambering to make it to the double doors out behind where Miguel stands, to grab and pull the deer through the opening, though not without his exaggerated claws cutting through the fabric of the suit; Louis' antlers scrape and cut at Miguel in turn through this awkward and desperate exchange. No simple fancy double doors would hold back the force of the tide welling up the moment the mental dams within the ballroom burst. Even worse, the backup generator for the building will only last for so long. The lights are dimmer and faintly flickering. For Carnivores and the like, this is not a problem. For others, however...

The first thing Sam noticed was the lights. Things got brighter. Colours grew more vivid. His other senses too, hearing, smell, touch. He could feel his heart pounding far too fast in his chest, something that would have been alarming had he still had the mental wherewithal to even consciously take note of it. At this point he was reacting more than anything, moving, shouting, ushering or even in some cases outright dragging as many people as he could to the safety of that nearest exit without even thinking.

By the time he had noticed that Dolph had now shut those backstage doors, Sam had found himself in the middle of the room. People were twisting. Mutating. He couldn't tell whether he was or not along with them. He didn't suppose it mattered too much at this point. He gave another shout as the lights flickered again, calling for anyone who still had the sense to hear to get behind him. To follow him as he made his way to where Louis and Miguel were.

He shouted to the lion, something that he was pretty sure was along the lines of how he was going to get these people, and Louis, to safety. That being said, whether he was listened to or not, he was going for that damn door. Whatever was in the air, whatever it had done to him, though clearly from the outside it had not frenzied him or sent him mad in the same way his body seemingly wasn't holding anything back anymore. Sprains, strains, torn muscles or even worse be damned, he was going to be shoving that lion either through with them or out of the way if he didn't step aside. Or at least, would try anyhow.

Miguel is a strong lion. Easily the muscle of Louis' Lions. Much like Dolph, he's trying to block others from getting out that pose a danger. Anyone in the room is capable of attacking and devouring any Herbivores outside. However, he's just one lion losing his own senses trying to blockade a set of double doors. He presses his back to them, breathing heavily, increasingly hard to 'see' for the blood pumping through his veins. All those animals.

Wait. He has a gun. His murder mitts hold the pistol with some ferocity and he lifts it, to threaten to keep people away from the doors, inside. Those beasts, though. They're innocent. They didn't choose this. To gun them down now... Should he- Should he use it on himself? He can feel the draw. The need. He can smell deer blood mixed in with the cocktail in the air. The doors are closed, but he can smell which way Louis went.

A wolf approaches him with determination. Why wasn't this Carnivore changing? Why did he want to open the way out? "You- DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THEY'LL EAT THE BOSS?" he snarls before throwing his head back to slam against the doors, eyes rolling upward. The whole room is seconds away from a feeding frenzy and only one Herbivore was left behind to leave a convenient trail. He can't let them. He can't. He can't.

The moment those doors open, it'll be a true race against time and the main course only has a shaky head start.

Sam's head was pounding, ears ringing, though being stopped at the door by a lion with a gun in his hands did wonders for snapping even the most muddled chemical flooded mind back to attention. The wolf had holstered his own weapon by this point though in the frantic nature of it the maglocks hadn't quite aligned it flush against his body, the revolver leaving a visible bulge in the fall of his jacket now.

He didn't quite hear what the lion said. Eat the boss? Was that metaphor, or with everyone lurching around, salivating, could that even be literal? He took another step, hands in front of him to show that he had no weapon in them.

"Hey! HEY! Look at me! That ain't gonna happen and I'm gonna make sure of it!" His vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment. "Whatever this is doin', it ain't doing it to me! I'll find him, get him out, and block the door from the other side! Gimme a crack to squeeze through! I ain't letting anyone past!"

Behind the pair, the full extent of the Meat Frenzy is kicking in. And Miguel? Miguel has just enough control left to note the difference in the wolf not having the same reaction. Perhaps the wolf is a hybrid, too, that has enough Herbivore genetics to be somewhat more in control. He quickly nods and allows Sam a chance to slip by, but it has to be quick. He's already pushing back at the others closing in to follow. The last thing Sam might see before exiting is a single tear running down Miguel's face. The first thing he hears on the other side after Miguel has shut the door again is a couple of gunshots.

The hall outside is devoid of animals. The sounds of violence heralded by the vacating Herbivores likely was plenty warning to get out. One way leads to a quicker escape through the front while the other direction would wind toward the back of the building, eventually meet up with the hall leading from the side door of the ballroom, and then lead toward the back where parking is located. Benches and plants and paintings decorate the paths either way and a few vending machines offer canned juices, snacks, and even a few random necessities for personal hygiene. But which way did the deer go?

Why, that's easy to tell.

Super easy.

The scent trail is like a neon glowing pink cloud leading down the hall headed toward the back where the parking lot is.

Sam indeed moved quickly! He backed out of the door, making sure he had any gaps well and truly covered with that larger and imposing black revolver in hand to dissuade anyone trying to rush past. He didn't say anything else to the lion, just a quick nod, then as soon as he got past the threshold he got to work. It wouldn't be much of a barricade, he couldn't tell how much the others had their strength enhanced but if his was enough to shove vending machines into position for a makeshift block he could only assume the others at least could match it. Still. It was a few more seconds. Every one of those was going to count.

He was cautious as he moved, tracking and heading towards the scent as fast as he could yet still checking his corners, making sure nothing was either going to jump out at him or that he was about to run into an ambush. Plus maybe moving a bit more tactically rather than breaking into a sprint'd at least let any bystanders know that he ''hadn't'' gone insane.

It was at that point he noticed a fire panel on the wall. Sprinkler systems. Alarms. The latter could help make people evacuate that much quicker, the former though was of even more interest. Whatever chemical was used, whatever agent, whatever weapon, it was gas based. It was hanging in the air. Throw enough water up and it might force it down to the ground so it couldn't hurt anyone else. He slammed his fist through the glass plate, likely landing a good dent in the wall behind it in the process, flinching as the loud klaxons started assaulting his ears.

He had to continue. Even with all that water tracking the deer'd still be a trivial matter. He must be getting closer by now.

Sam barely has time to follow down the hallway when the inevitable happens. The lights flicker, dim, dim more, then cut completely. The darkened halls and rooms now only get the occasional blip of light as water sprays and alarms scream due to the industrial battery system that powers them.

**************

Moments before, while Sam was still reacting to the initial release, Louis was pulled then shoved out through a door in his bid to escape the danger area. His head jerked as his antlers caught on the way out and Miguel's claws had shredded through his suit jacket, waistcoat, and dress shirt with ease leaving him with a few new bloody marks. At first, there was a moment where he expected Miguel to follow, but that didn't happen. Staring at the closed door for a moment, the deer's mind raced. He couldn't stand still, but what should he do? Where should he go? He looks to the direction of the main entrance and takes a few steps, but pauses, looks around, and instead turns back the other way. If he gets to the company car, he can safely get somewhere isolated.

Step-clack step-clack, his unique footsteps echo down the emptied hall as he sprints to the best of his ability,rounds a few turns, takes a wrong turn once or twice, and has to backtrack down one hall at least once to find the way out. He doesn't know the building well enough to navigate in such a hurry and the current matters of stress don't much help. The dull sound of a few gunshots are heard somewhere else in the building; his pulse begins to race even higher. Turning once more, Louis stops in his tracks. A Carnivore beats against the door leading out to the back lot in a frenzy, but the door doesn't open. Wasn't that one of the attendees?

Suddenly, alarms cut on and water sprays and the Carnivore that somehow got ahead of him begins to look around. In a dash to stay unseen, Louis picks one of the few doors nearby, tries the handle, finds it unlocked and slips inside...just after one last action to help divert attention away. Just in time before the power fails, too.

**************

Somewhere, back behind Sam's chosen path to track down the Horns CEO, the beating on the blocked door continues, but for how long will it last?

The wolf was soaked through by this point. The cold water had done well to shock his system back to its senses, though to say Sam was still unnaturally far more wired than he should have been was an understatement. His heart still thudded in his chest, his mouth was dry, and his hands still holding on to his weapon, albeit lowered by this point, shook no matter how much he tried to steady them. The sprinklers and alarms made his hearing unreliable, but even after the frying it took earlier his nose was still as sharp as ever.

He paused, nose in the air for a moment as he tried to trace the scent again. It was still clear, though the strange chemicals still lingering on the deer's clothes weren't losing their strange effect. Venison, that part was from the nick he'd taken from the lion's claws earlier no doubt, the hare's blood from earlier also smelled kind of like that of the conventional non sapient kind, but that peppercorn sauce it was seemingly paired with Sam was fairly certain just a trick of the mind.

Especially as the next sniff it started smelling more like barbeque.

"Hey!" He called out, stacked up against the side of the door that he was at least fairly convinced the deer was behind. Realising that shouting probably wasn't the best idea to someone already so alarmed, not to mention probably expecting shouting madmen, he lowered his tone a little. "Don't worry, just the guy who saved that anteater earlier. Figured I'd make it a twofer."

There's no response. Not at first. Instead, the smell seems to be muddled in this hall. Part of it is the sprinkler system. Another part of it is the fact that Louis' suit coat isn't on him. That's because it's in the claws of one of the two Carnivores already in the hallway. One is larger, some kind of panther. Another is much smaller: perhaps a lynx. Having sniffed and licked and gnawed through the expertly woven threads for every bit of that enticing sauce, the coat is barely recognizable. Worse is that the two Carnivores present are ones that Sam helped evacuate through the side door. There are no immediate signs of the stag or gazelle. Some of the nearby doors are opened. A few busted up. The exit door almost looks mangled, but it still hasn't opened outward yet. Sturdy door? Or is something blocking it from outside?

It's probably not the best idea to try coaxing the deer out of hiding with danger still about, but thankfully they don't seem that interested in attacking Sam. Or each other. Somewhere, near the other end of the building, the banging comes to an end and a chorus of hungry beasts fills the halls. Also heard, somewhere outside, are the closing in of sirens.

Either Sam needs to take them down or find a way to lure them away or trap them before the rest of the crowd shows up. There's a powered down cluster of vending machines nearby offering snacks and silver vine drinks. There's a cluster of loose power cables shaken loose near the exit door that seem to be part of the fire alert system. Lastly, there's a utility door marked with stairs that 'might' lead to a section of the roof.

Sam sighed. He really thought that was smooth. He paused, both hoping that his dark fur against a the poorly lit background'd make him harder to spot if he did, and trying to regain track of that scent once again. The latter wasn't working. The majority of those chemicals had landed on the coat after all and it was blowing out almost everything else. He'd have to get closer, something that the two maddened cats in the way weren't exactly going to make easy. Sure. They hadn't gone after him yet, but, he wasn't exactly keen to test his luck.

Sam checked his surroundings. Power cables, presumably live and water. Not exactly a great combination. Perhaps useable in defence, but, it would surely be no less lethal than his magnum, and far more likely to harm him just as much. Not an option he wanted to take unless he had to.

A vending machine. Marked with 'silvervine'.

He'd heard of this. First day he was here Sam'd been blasted with adverts. Something about felines. He wasn't really listening of course but it sounded a bit like catnip in how it worked. Worth a shot. Not like there was anyone around to get mad at him smashing open the glass front of a vending machine at this point, though the racket it made was far from subtle.

He grabbed a couple cans, tossed them up and down to check the weight, and then went to put a hole through the side of one with a canine. In his head, the spray'd be more controllable. Spread out the smell of whatever it was, have it all pool in a specific spot. Instead it just shot straight into his face. He let out a loud "BLAGH!", spluttering as he almost dropped the can. The next one he simply decided to shake up and open the normal way instead, tossing them both so they first slammed against a wall and landed a good ways behind the cats!

From there, it was time to investigate the possible paths. At the very least that had gotten the strange chemicals out of his nose. Roof access probably wasn't a good idea, he'd be cornered, though he still raised his nose to try and track it. Then he turned to that thick exit door. Another sniff. Did he go this way?

First one can splats against the door of an office off the side of the hall, then the other, perhaps lending to a fool's hope that sapient, if frenzied, cat people would be so distracted by a refreshing cold drink or two that they'd break off their hunt for the deer. It's the lynx that investigates first while the panther stares dumbly, if not angrily, toward Sam the longer he hangs about. From inside the office there's a crash of furniture soon thereafter. Ears swiveling, the scent of the plant-infused drink finally reaches where the dwindling 'other' smell takes such hold. The larger cat follows, probably offering a good time to try shutting the door, coupled by the fact that the two cats sound like they begin fighting over the leaking cans.

Given the chance and opportunity, at least temporarily cleared of potential dangers, the exit door can get a closer examination. There is, in fact, a vehicle just beyond the door keeping it from swinging outward. The door is ever so slightly open, so a skilled nose or ear could detect that there are a few animals outside, in the lot, not far behind the large car. The deer is probably holed up somewhere in that hall -- Sam's nose seems to think it's the utility closet -- but probably isn't going to risk responding if it draws danger. If he knew better, he might be more likely to show himself. As for the car; well, somebody put it there.

First thing's first, Sam was going to go ahead and close that door, pausing only to flip the pair of cats a double bird as he did so. Also lock and or barricade the thing if it was all possible. Much of the crazy had already worn off so he didn't feel like flipping any more vending machines, just jamming whatever heavy furniture he could find in a nice big pile'd have to do for now. He was about to head on back to that utility closest when he paused, looking at one of the scraps of jacket on the floor. He pulled out his 'phone', held it up, and tried to get a decent scan. There was something coming up, but, not anything the wolf could make heads or tails of. Raw data that Citadel would no doubt have to spend weeks working through just to figure out the basics.

Getting it so drenched probably didn't help either. Then again, making sure that stuff was out of the air and not flying into the vents was a bigger priority.

His voice was much lower than last time when he again found himself stacked up against the side of that utility closet door. It'd also lost most of the attitude. Much more genuine than Sam's attempt to sound 'cool' before. "Listen if you're in there, the hallway's clear. For now. I said to one of your lion buddies that I'd get you out, and I ain't planning on becoming a liar today. You got an evac plan?"

There's a heaving sound, deer grunting, as something inside the room is shifted to the side. Seems moving furniture around is the secret word of the day. It takes a moment, the door handle turns and the door opens, only to catch on something, so the door shuts again, something else is struggled with, and the door finally opens again. All the way.

A very soaked-through and shivering deer stands there with a miserable appearance despite his measured stare. "You again." Arms clutching his own form to retain as much heat as he can, the deer 'still' looks both ways up and down the hall to make sure nothing is there to ambush him. Once he sees it appears to be clear, the deer begins to walk past the wolf toward the exit door. "All right, ...Sam Twofer. We get out of here first and then you can tell me why you aren't trying to kill me instead."

Of course, the door is blocked. "Ah, mother fucker!" A far less powerful fist beats on the door now. "Who the hell parked in front of the door, are you trying to get animals killed?" Another crash of furniture from not too far away, from behind a crudely blocked door leading into an office, gives Louis pause. He looks between Sam and the office door.

"Did you hear that?" asks somebody from outside.

"Hello?" asks another.

Louis violently shakes from the wet chill and his teeth begin to chatter. He really can't handle being cold well at all.

Sam was looking plenty soaked through and bedraggled himself, though definitely of a species more suited for the cold. Little bit of rain never stopped a wolf after all, even if that rain had been indoors in this case. "Me again." He said, managing a smile despite it all, though that dropped just a little when Louis brought up the whole 'why you aren't trying to kill me thing' part. "Why would I do that?"

Sam flinched at the noise, ears folding back for a moment. "Yeaaah, I should'a used more silvervine, 'cos wow those are some pissed off kitty cats in that office there. I think they liked your jacket by the way. Or hated it. Hard to tell. Right. Door" He landed a much more forceful blow down against it, yelling at those outside likely a fair bit louder than Louis did. "Move the damn car! We're trapped in here!"

"Something happened in there. A Carnivore tried to attack me. Us. I used the car to block the door." As if it weren't obvious enough. Really.

Louis narrows his eyes in great annoyance. He knows that voice. He attempts to raise his voice, too. "Yes, now let us out by moving the damned car or I'm going to dock your pay! ...the things I'm ready to do with a can of silvervine drink myself, Sam..."

The stag named Hartford jolts in surprise. "Mister Louis?! Right away, sir." Louis passes a look to Sam close to that of a disappointed father. "I just need to get my keys out, and then..." A door opens and the engine starts.

"...wait, did he just say 'his' keys?" the deer asks of the wolf. Louis widens his eyes in realization just as the car pulls forward with a nasty scraping sound, half pulling the exit door off its hinges from its previous abuse, leaving the way out to swing awkwardly open. "Your company car?!" Louis cries out as he hurries through the door, arms raising, seeing the terrible damage far beyond just the paint.

Behind Sam and Louis' getaway, at the other end of the hall, the crowd of frenzied Carnivores have finally caught up. Louis is distracted and chilled and doesn't notice in order to say anything.

"Something happened in the-" Sam cut himself off, his mouth hanging open a little for a moment. "You kidding me? Yeah and that *something* is gonna happen to the both of us if you don't move out of the damn way!" He stepped back a little ways, firstly so that maybe he'd be able to keep them back further at best or buy a little time at worst should any more of those carnivores show up and secondly to give the deer a little bit more space. The look he returned wasn't quite the same, there was more exasperation than disappointment in his case. "This fuckin' guy. Argh, 'least he's moving it *now*. Took him long enough."

"Keys? Yeah, yeah I think he di-" The sound of footsteps cut him off. Lots of them, all with fast, frantic, almost uneven gaits. Sam's ears swiveled one after the other locking in on that sound even before the blood frenzied crowd rounded the hallway, just catching the first of them out the corner of his eye. "Aw hell! We got bigger problems comin' at us fast!" He followed closely behind, stepping out backwards and slamming what was left of the door shut behind him, or, at least as close to it as he could make it. "We're gonna need that car back or somethin' even heavier! Dunno how many but I just saw a *whole* lot runnin' up!"

The larger stag looks into his rear-view mirror as he pulls forward to clear the way and is visibly relieved to see Mister Louis step out, along with a Carnivore? Instead, however, this wolf pushes the door shut, for as much as it can and with great metallic complaining from the damaged frame and hinges, and widens his own eyes a bit as Sam calls out to back the car back into place again.

Louis seconds this motion as he has his attention drawn to see the same mess, or as much as he can through the one-hinged diagonally hanging door, rapidly backing out of the way. "You heard the wolf: block the door!" Hartford puts the car into reverse and starts to back up, but a damaged fender from the scraping against the building catches in the wheel well, turns into a bad angle, and begins a horrible grinding sound that leads to a pop, smoke, and eventual sparks! With effort and more damage, the car bumps into the brick of the building once more as it messily forces itself into place.

A familiar banging resumes. Louis half-collapses onto his butt right there on the lot to leave a moist mark with his wet form, while exhaling in exhaustion. Hartford quickly exits the car with a startled yelp, especially as a clawed hand reaches through a gap in the door through the now busted left-hand (passenger's) window, and looks to Sam in bewilderment.

The wolf shoved back against the door as hard as he could manage, trying to force it back as far into its frame as possible! He barely had room enough to get clear himself, tucking and rolling just as the vehicle slammed down hard against where he was standing just a second ago! Sam landed in a rough halfway sitting position, able to do little more than stare up at the chaos unfolding right there in front of him. He stayed there for a moment trying to catch his breath. His lungs felt ragged in his chest, his heart pounding. Whether that was an after effect of the chemical attack or just that of a more natural outcome of the day's events he wasn't exactly sure.

His vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment, tunneling in on the edges. He could feel his body screaming at him now, his muscles feeling like he'd run every single one of them raw. With another curse muttered under his breath the wolf let himself collapse backwards onto the pavement as he simply tried to focus on controlling his breathing. In. And out. Slow. Steady. The only move he made for the next half-minute or so apart from that was a raised thumbs up to that driver. He couldn't tell what that look was right now. Concern? Confusion? Perhaps a bit of both? He hoped the gesture'd suffice in either case.

He soon had himself propped back up on his elbows as he looked towards Louis. First as a quick double check to make sure no one had taken a chunk out of him during the escape, and second, well.

He had some *questions* after that one. The trickiest part was even thinking up where to start. He figured he'd just shoot off several at once. "what the hell even happened back there? What did that guy in the mask do to them? How?" A pause. Then another question. This time in a more gentle tone than the others. "You uh, are you OK? Probably should'a led with that one."

Louis sits there for the moment, plenty of different trains of thought running through his head, trying to logic anything that just happened. He presses a hand to his forehead and quietly thinks. At least, outside, the sound of the fire alarm is duller, even if it's offset by the sirens of beast enforcement and medical on the other side of the building. Only a matter of time until they show up and discover them so long as they just sit there and wait. "I'm..." Louis begins with a raise of his shoulders, only to slump them again as he adds, "Unsure."

Hartford takes off his own coat and drapes it around the shoulders of his shivering boss, but has little to add. He's still trying to catch himself up on everything that just happened. Louis wearily looks at the car and the door and building beyond. "That's not normal. You know. Meat drunkenness doesn't make them so mindless. A Carnivore that desperate for meat would have already found the stairs up or a window by now." They are in no way trapped inside, after all. Not really. The scrawny deer pulls his knees up and rests his head against them sidelong, staring over at Sam in the process. "Why weren't you affected like them? No cravings? General alertness? Clearly it made you more bold if you're spouting 'twofer' lines as a first choice." It might be hard to tell if that last line is meant to be harsh AND funny or just harsh. Tiredness wipes away any potential for humor in his current expression.

Sam looked drained. Exhausted even. Like a man who had gone without sleep for days only to have been forced to run a triathlon after. His replies had become slower, as if the wolf was having to take time to even register what was being said. "Guess I'm built different." Came his first answer when he spoke again. Though it didn't take him much longer than that to give something a little more concrete. "Everything smelled real weird. Felt weird too. Dunno how to describe it but, I ain't ever been wired like that before. Was uh, felt like I was panicking almost but I-I wasn't. I just kept going. Did what I had to do." He tried to move, to sit a little more upright, though a stabbing pain in his head, churning in his gut and vision blurring at the corners forced him to reconsider. "Argh. Gone and done now though, just feels like there's an ice pick lodged in my eye now."

The 'twofer' comment actually got something almost close to laughter out of Sam, albeit briefly, and more just a sharper exhale than anything else. The idea of letting out a proper one didn't appeal, not when he was in such a state as this already. "Not gonna live that one down, am I? Yeah well, was just the first thing that popped into my head. I didn't have neither the time nor the faculties to think of anythin' better. Brain was burning. Sorry that savin' yer damn life didn't come with wittier repartee."

"It's not ''my'' life I'm worried about right now, though, to be curt. It's the lives of the animals in there. Or the animals that were watching. It really pisses me off to think some watched with hope only to now be confused and scared. Terrified. But..."

Louis adjusts his prosthetic leg before making the effort to push back up onto his feet. "That's why they call it terrorism, and... I'm damn sure not going to take this without a powerful pushback." The deer walks closer to the car and leans in to peer through the gaps at those affected. He might even catch a glimpse of familiar eyes.

"I hope they get better. Soon. We need a message of resilience." A thoughtful frown rests upon the deer's face. "You had to leave Dolph and Miguel behind in the mess, then? Miguel was the lion that pushed me out." A hand moves to the sore scratches on his shoulder. It's clear that those of the security detail mean more to him than just hired help.

"Didn't have much of a choice. They were both halfway turned. Like a cheesy horror movie or summin'. Miguel. That was the one I made that promise to get you out to." He made another attempt to get back to standing, this time at least getting partially there, back up to a half slumped over kneeling position before his body's protests halted him in his tracks again. "

"Whoever did this. They weren't looking to just kill people. If they were that'd been a nerve agent in that tube and we'd both be long gone. They wanted somethin' real flashy instead. This was a statement." He reached out, hand thunking against the body of the car as he tried to haul himself back up. This time he managed it, albeit, shakily. "Guh, fffu- Hokay'. Not gonna puke at least. That's good. That's real good." It took him a little to continue, a moment taken to catch his breath again. "Doin' this'd take resources. A will. Tight planning. You pissed off anyone that'd fit that bill?"

He too was looking over towards the door by this point. From his angle he could see far less, hands reaching out, maybe the occasional eyeshine in the darkness. "It wore off on me already and they ain't trying to kill *eachother* in there so, as long as nothing else happens, right? I ain't run into anything like this before."

"Neither have I. Not exactly like this. There are plenty that don't like my progressive influence. Many that have their own resources. I can fancy a guess, but guesses won't help anybody right now. We need facts. I'll offer to help fund some forensic study on whatever hasn't washed away. Gizou Medical might be able to do some quick lab work, maybe see a lead to follow in a few weeks. Blood work on the victims in there, too. Hopefully this is one and done and not something...more permanent."

Ear flicking twice, Louis turns away rubbing at his temple. Off to one side, flashlight beams sweep around the lot and footsteps herald the approach of other people. "Mister Louis, sir. Enforcers are here," informs Hartford who turns away to wave them down, walking in their direction.

"Might need to do some bloodwork on you, too. If you're somewhat immune to whatever that was, it may help create a treatment. Or, even better, a preventative measure." Louis says this as he walks over to Sam to look up at him, perhaps in order to gauge his reaction. Despite his tiredness and physical misery, his large eyes show only determination.

Sam's thoughts turned back to the chemanalysis scan he took on his disguised datapad. Even he could tell that scrap of clothing the cat people were chewing on still reeked of it even through the deluge, and as sharp as his nose was, 56th century sensors were vastly more finely tuned than even the absolute best any biology could muster. On the flipside though, revealing that data, especially its source, that would be even more telling than the glittertech trauma kit he used to patch the anteater back together.

He looked towards the incoming police. Hartford seemed to have them distracted at the very least. Sam had used his technology in front of cameras, had clearly, albeit with the best intentions already interfered far beyond what the rules allowed. The die was already cast.

Citadel couldn't remove his Nomad certification twice.

He pulled out his 'phone', fortunately undamaged by all the indoor rain and waited until nobody but the deer was looking. Sam placed his palm on its screen and slid it across, a hologram flickering to life above it, floating a few inches in the air. "Might have something a little more advanced than your forensic team. Not that sendin' them out still ain't the right call. I'll make this data available to you, just, don't say where it came from."

The holodisplay showed a 3D image of Louis' tattered suit jacket, a few sections highlighted with a long list of chemical compounds. Some were clearly just from the environment, others still were more likely the base materials itself, but some were no doubt more anomalous. "It's still cookin'and this ain't a specialised chem sniffer, but I'm pretty sure it'll get somethin' at least. Especially given how much that crap reeked."

With that, he slid his palm back over, the hologram fading as if it were never there and the only thing in his hand was a standard nondescript smartphone. "If bloodwork helps too, then go ahead. I ain't got no objections, especially if it helps counter whatever the hell this all was about."

Louis' eyes lower from Sam's face to the device so handheld. His eyes show an amount of surprise amid the private glow of the hologram, but it very quickly fades into a business tone upon that piece of the puzzle fully clicking into place. He listens, though, and watches to what is shown. When all is said and done and the offer for bloodwork is given, the small deer crosses his arms. "It might help, but not in the way I was hoping." There's a knowing glimmer in those expressive eyes.

Louis has traveled abroad. He's seen many things, invested in a few, but left most back where it originates. Sure, beasts have advanced palmtop devices that can call people or send wireless information, but with the current state of the nation and the almost nonexistent governing body or military force it's always been a wonder if, in spite of everything else in the mechanical-technological realm the beasts consider modern, the near anachronism of such advanced electronics came from outside influence or were backwards engineered from something a visitor left behind. He knows the entire breadth of technological advances his people are capable of...and this is beyond that scope. Therein...

Sam isn't a local. Sam isn't even a Carnivore, in the domestic sense. That explains so much.

Louis doesn't question it. Instead, he replies with a question of his own that might seem a bit unrelated: "Do you have identification that won't have enforcement wanting to cart you to the local office for questions? Or are we going to break even with me bailing you out...here in the next few seconds?"

Hartford and the officials are walking over.

|}}

Kazi

2024-09-03T02:53:56Z

Louis:

{{Profile|
Title=Kazi
|Image=Kazi Avatar.jpg
|Name=Kazi the Lion
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=Dishwasher/Busser
|Alignment=Neutral
|Gender=Male
|Species=Lion
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
Kazi the Lion stands approximately 198cm (6'5"), and weighs around 68kg (150 lbs). He is quite lean and lanky. His fur is a tawny brown, with a wavy, jet black mane, that he keeps immaculately groomed, with small, rounded ears visible poking up through the mane. His left eye is a strikingly bright yellow, while his right eye is milky white, having been blinded. His body is noticeably deteriorated, losing a good portion of his normal muscle mass after two years in the hospital. The young lion has severe scarring over his upper body, over his right eye, and along his muzzle, several scars visible along his arms and over his upper chest, with more hidden by his clothing.
----
===Personality===
----
Kazi has a fairly subdued personality nowadays, a far cry from the boisterous, impulsive young lion he used to be. He is kind and caring and very loyal to those who he feels have earned it. He has an inexplicable fear of melons, the sight of them often sending him into panic attacks ranging anywhere from mild shaking to extreme terror.
----
|Background=
----
At the age of 18, Kazi suddenly dropped out of school, months before graduation, resulting in him being disowned by his fairly wealthy family and kicked out of his childhood home. He spent two years homeless, surviving on scraps on the streets of Denko. Eventually, at the age of 20, he made his way to the Black Market, specifically to a group of lions known as the Shishigumi, joining at a tumultuous time in the organization's history. They were without a leader at the time, but soon were taken over by the hybrid Melon. Kazi was one of the first victims of Melon's maniacal leadership, nearly losing his life after being caught speaking ill of the organization's new boss. Melon attacked Kazi with the intent of killing him; it was only by a miracle that Kazi survived, though he spent two years in a coma and only just recently awoke. He suffers a form of amnesia, likely a trauma response by his body and mind to spare him the horror of his near-death experience.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Kazi Avatar.jpg

2024-09-03T02:52:47Z

Louis: Louis uploaded a new version of File:Kazi Avatar.jpg

Kazi

2024-09-03T02:47:43Z

Louis:

{{Profile|
Title=Kazi
|Image=Missing.png
|Name=Kazi the Lion
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=Dishwasher/Busser
|Alignment=Neutral
|Gender=Male
|Species=Lion
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
Kazi the Lion stands approximately 198cm (6'5"), and weighs around 68kg (150 lbs). He is quite lean and lanky. His fur is a tawny brown, with a wavy, jet black mane, that he keeps immaculately groomed, with small, rounded ears visible poking up through the mane. His left eye is a strikingly bright yellow, while his right eye is milky white, having been blinded. His body is noticeably deteriorated, losing a good portion of his normal muscle mass after two years in the hospital. The young lion has severe scarring over his upper body, over his right eye, and along his muzzle, several scars visible along his arms and over his upper chest, with more hidden by his clothing.
----
===Personality===
----
Kazi has a fairly subdued personality nowadays, a far cry from the boisterous, impulsive young lion he used to be. He is kind and caring and very loyal to those who he feels have earned it. He has an inexplicable fear of melons, the sight of them often sending him into panic attacks ranging anywhere from mild shaking to extreme terror.
----
|Background=
----
At the age of 18, Kazi suddenly dropped out of school, months before graduation, resulting in him being disowned by his fairly wealthy family and kicked out of his childhood home. He spent two years homeless, surviving on scraps on the streets of Denko. Eventually, at the age of 20, he made his way to the Black Market, specifically to a group of lions known as the Shishigumi, joining at a tumultuous time in the organization's history. They were without a leader at the time, but soon were taken over by the hybrid Melon. Kazi was one of the first victims of Melon's maniacal leadership, nearly losing his life after being caught speaking ill of the organization's new boss. Melon attacked Kazi with the intent of killing him; it was only by a miracle that Kazi survived, though he spent two years in a coma and only just recently awoke. He suffers a form of amnesia, likely a trauma response by his body and mind to spare him the horror of his near-death experience.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

2024-09-02 - Awake and Somehow Still Alive

2024-09-03T02:41:36Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=a.k.a. Good Morning, Lion-kun! |Summary=A former member of the Shishigumi, Kazi the Lion, begins to stir after a couple years comatose after traumatizing e..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=a.k.a. Good Morning, Lion-kun!
|Summary=A former member of the Shishigumi, Kazi the Lion, begins to stir after a couple years comatose after traumatizing events took place that caused serious injury.
|Who=[[Kazi]], [[Louis]], [[Agata]]
|Date=September 2, 2024
|Where=Sachi Are Hospital, Zebuth City, Beast Island
|Log=

Cool air scrubbed of most any scent save for the lingering echo of cleaning supplies fills the room along with pale lights set to a neutral comfort level. The door is shut and the footsteps beyond are muted to nigh silence. The only other sounds present, aside from the light pitter-patter of an evening drizzle against the broad nearby windows, are the steady beeping from a machine on wheels and the steady drip and supply of liquid in a hanging bag. The skyline is partially obscured by the passing precipitation, yet, for the humidity outside, the room is quite dry within.

A nearby table has a few tokens of well wishes; a couple cards and an ornamental vase long absent its aged flowers make up the majority of what is there. It's...not much. A deflated metallic balloon, flattened to display the colorful and shiny Get Well Soon on one facing is taped to the wall above the head of the bed. What was once perhaps hope for a quick recovery from a select few found overshadowing by an unfortunate truth: the occupant of the bed has been there a long time. Too long.

Perhaps not even aware of the ongoing treatment, the patient has had long-term attachment to intravenous intake, intubation feeding, and daily care to move and flex the basic joints to reduce muscular degradation and bedsores. Those on call even have waste bag replacement duties. It's impossible for the bed-bound patient, unconscious as he is, to even fully recognize any visitors that stop by. There are visitors. Right? Yet, for as busy as the room can be at certain times of the day, it is calm and quiet. The same as it has been every day at most hours for some time; for far too long.

Nothing changes.

That's a good thing, medically.

But, then something does. Measurements shift. Not much, but it's there.

Somewhere, down the hall, staff of the hospital are notified.

The occupant of the bed is a six-foot-five-inch tall lion. Grievous wounds, long since healed, have left the lion severely, brutally scarred. Scars snake their way up and down his arms, along with a particularly gruesome gash over his right eye, with many more hidden beneath the light hospital gown he’s dressed in.

As the quiet beeps of machines echo through the silence of the hospital room, something happens. The lion’s ears flick, as if trying to react to the soft beeping. It isn’t much, but it’s enough. His eyes begin to flutter, trying to open for the first time in a long, long time.

Kazi the Lion stirs, ever so slightly. Slowly, VERY slowly, the lion starts to become aware of himself, of the deafening silence he’s surrounded by, of the far off sounds of something beeping. He tries to move, unable to make his body cooperate with him. His mind, awake but very sluggish, keeps telling his body to move, to open his eyes. Why won’t it cooperate? What is wrong with him? Fear begins to take hold as Kazi slowly realizes that something is very, very wrong with him.

How much time must seem to pass between then and the next as confusion and ache serve as company, yet at some length -- one that is surprisingly short from another perspective -- the door latch, in all its well-oiled compliance, perhaps deafeningly announces the presence of somebody entering the room with a turning click. It slowly closes on its own behind the figure that enters, but that moment alone grants the ear the spanning spectrum of sounds of business beyond. With a click, they are silenced once more.

The individual moves in nearby. Close. Very close. The first thing done is the checking of vitals and state of the various noted supplies. The person speaks, soft yet clear in a practiced way, as she handles these readings. "Stirring a bit, Lion-kun?" It seems that the presence of the young patient has been long enough for some amount of familiarity to be gained. Her voice may or may not sound familiar. "Just checking up on you. Seems your heart rate is picking up, a bit more activity, breathing..."

The figure puts down her clipboard and turns to look over the patient. Eye movement, though not fully opened, but that's not unexpected. Comatose patients can even be fully unconscious with opened eyes. "Connections look secure. Are you awake, Kazi?" Something makes contact with the patient's hand in one of the most basic possible tests.

"Can you squeeze my hand for me?"

Panic starts to grip the lion as his mind wakes more. The silence, the crushing darkness... The young lion is terrified. He can’t remember anything. Kazi screams internally, while there is no outward reaction. ''*Move, body! Open your eyes! Please! Somebody! Anybody! Where am I? Help me! HELP!!!!*''

Suddenly, he hears... something. He can’t make out what it is, but there is definitely something. The sound... a voice, perhaps... is muffled and distant, like he is far away, or underwater. Is he underwater? Kazi’s mind desperately yells for his eyes to open, and after fighting for... minutes? Hours? Days? He has no sense of time in this nightmarish existence.

After fighting for some time, a thin sliver of light appears in front of him, a literal ray of hope to the terrified young lion. Then, he feels something touch his hand. More muffled sounds... it’s definitely someone speaking to him, he decides. ''*Whoever you are, help me, please!!*'' Kazi pleads with his body, crying internally. He’s so scared. The muffled sounds feel like they are closer now, slowly clearing up. Someone is definitely speaking to him. He can't hear clearly yet, the words are still very muffled, as if he is floating just beneath the surface of a lake, but is he imagining it, or did he hear the word ‘hand’? He SCREAMS at himself to squeeze his hand, to let whatever or whoever is there know that he’s here, that he needs help... that he’s ALIVE.

Outwardly, the change is barely noticeable unless one is specifically looking for it. The lion’s eyes crack open just the smallest amount, but it is enough. As the soft-spoken woman’s hand lays in the young lion’s, asking for him to squeeze her hand, a miracle happens. It’s not much, but Kazi’s body responds to his internal screaming, his fingers flexing in the woman’s grip.

The nurse audibly exhales at the reaction. Her jaw moves a little as if trying to form words to speak, but she quickly follows up with a few more sounds: "Very good. Very, very good. Squeeze my hand again, if you can."

Eyes shift from the lion to the machines nearby. The nurse maintains that hold on Kazi's hand and gives it a little squeeze of her own while using her other hand to notify the doctor on duty through a text page about the sudden development. "I want you to know, Kazi, that you're in a safe place: Sachi Are Hospital. My name is Nurse Ureshii and I'm here fighting to help you wake up all the way, too." It's frustrating for the nurse, too, because there's only so much she can do besides being a vocal and present anchor.

She doesn't talk too much. She waits for replies or responses to stimuli before offering other words of encouragement or statements of safety. It can be a painful process reviving from a coma. It can also lead into smooth transitions to normal waking life. "You can do it." All alone, Ureshii stands vigil until the doctor can arrive not wanting to pull away. "I'm right here."

That sliver of light slowly expands, pushing away the deep, crushing darkness, as Kazi’s eyes open more, about halfway. The light of the room, despite being set to a pale, neutral tone comfortable for most animals, is overwhelming for the young lion opening his eyes for the first time in years. He may as well be staring into the sun, for how bright it appears to him. His head throbs painfully, his vision extremely blurred and somehow... wrong, but he can’t figure out how.

Kazi’s hearing is still muffled. Most of what Ureshii is saying goes unrecognized by the lion, but he does hear the word ‘again’, and feels a pressure in his hand. She must be holding his hand. He tries to squeeze his hand in hers again, his body responding better this time. Rather than his fingers just flexing against her palm, they actually curl and he squeezes her hand with a light pressure.

The lion’s ears twitch as his head crests the surface of the metaphorical lake, Ureshii’s words drawing him in, anchoring him to the waking world, even if he can’t understand what she’s saying. He doesn’t know this woman, but right now, she is his guardian angel, pulling at his consciousness. He picks up ‘safe’, ‘ho...tal’, ‘fight’, and ‘wake’. Ho...tal... Hospital? Wait, was he in a fight?

An image surfaces in Kazi’s mind... a face. A gazelle... no, not a gazelle, something is wrong. He can’t tell what is wrong with it, but for some reason this person terrifies him. Outwardly, his heart rate spikes and his grip actually tightens on Ureshii’s hand, a few tears spilling down his cheeks. He screams in his mind, while outwardly only producing a short gagging, choking sound, due to the tubes down his throat. ''*No! Stay away from me! Someone, please, help me!*''

The young lion likely isn't the most aware of what happens next as his pulse quickens and the monitoring systems nearby beep in protest. The image of the nurse nearby, for what might be seen by the panicking Kazi, blurs in the overwhelmingly dim lighting with that of a larger shape. There is talking -- rapid, complicated, technical -- between the nurse and another. Whatever trauma is upsetting the patient, for however it may internally seem, is reflecting outwardly with a sudden sense of medical urgency.

The nurse's grip squeezes one more time before having to pull away to procure and measure something from a vial with a syringe. The other presence leans in to check some vitals hands on, including the observation of the state of Kazi's pupil dilation. "Snap out of it, kid," comes at least one line from the masculine source before stepping aside so that the nurse is able to inject the mild sedative solution into the IV line running into Kazi's arm.

"Come on, Lion-kun. Leave it behind and come back to us," urges Ureshii.

Strangely, a third presence and voice seems present, too, albeit briefly, as, even without being able to see, there is the notion of somebody else leaning in close to clearly whisper into Kazi's ear...even though the room only holds the doctor, the nurse, and the patient. Two words. Almost a command. The presence and voice are strangers, but eerily fleeting in some unknown familiarity.

'''''Wake. Up.'''''

The perverted face of the gazelle fades as shapes come into Kazi’s view against the light. His vision is still extremely blurry, but he can make out a person-sized shade in the bright light, which he figures to be the woman holding his hand. The light dims more as another shade enters his view. He feels the pressure on his hand as she squeezes it once more, a couple tears shimmering in the corners of his eyes as she releases it suddenly. ''*No, please don’t leave me! Don’t let me go! Come back!!!*'' Kazi’s hand flexes, trying desperately to hold on to the woman’s hand as she pulls away, lest he lose his grip on everything.

The deeper, more masculine voice startles him in his confusion, his vision clearing just a bit to see the outline of a male. Who is this man? Immediately, the image of the strange gazelle comes back into view, clear as day, sending Kazi’s heart rate skyrocketing again. He feels something cool around his arm, the light and shades in his view dimming as his eyes sag, the sedative taking effect. ''*No, please... I don’t want to go back...*''

----

'''''Wake. Up.'''''

After what feels like an instant to Kazi, his eyes snap open, the light painfully bright as the world finally comes into view, a little blurred, but visible finally. His eyes dart back and forth, taking in the sanitized, nearly empty room. A man and a woman stand over him. He squints his eyes, blinking them, trying to clear his vision more. He strains to open his right eye, but he can’t seem to. He becomes uncomfortably aware of something in his throat, trying to swallow what he assumes is food of some kind. As his eyes look to his left, he sees the IV tube attached to his arm. He lifts his arm slowly -- it’s so heavy -- reaching for the woman standing by him.

The nurse steps forward, no doubt taking up much of Kazi's pained field of vision, offering the young lion a relieved smile. She gently touches his hand, but it's not the same solid grip as before. "There you are! Just- Just relax. You probably have a hundred questions, but don't try to talk. You'll have time for that in a bit." There will have to be observation, tests, and, hopefully, relocation to a different room for eventual patient release from the hospital. Some recoveries from comatose status can be remarkably quick.

"Just know that you're safe right now. We'll try to get you cleaned up and, if lucky, can try to get you something soothing to drink or eat very soon."

Nurse Ureshii is a raccoon dog. She almost completely blocks the view of the doctor in her excitement, though, and it's only clear that the doctor is flipping through some paperwork. "All right," his voice states. "Now comes the fun part." It's a process that will take time, but with some patience the newly awoken Kazi will be a few tubes fewer with a sore throat from them and talking might feel like trying to breathe glass, but that's all part of it.

----
Later that week:
----

Kazi doesn't just have one doctor. A few have different responsibilities, although the medical aides and nurses all seem to be linked to the ward itself. They all come and go, all with different schedules, and all with the same basic questions. It's not as if the doctors seem to care so much that Kazi is getting better so much as not getting worse; it's a hell of a distinction to make. After all, his body has had time to heal while in bed. Now it's a matter of mental healing and rehabilitation.

The lion's doctor for that makes visits, too, but this visit -- this time -- feels different. This isn't the usual scheduling. The psychiatrist enters, makes sure the door clicks shut, then walks across the small room to the window. It's raining again, today, too. As usual, his clothing is crisp and clean and his tie is neat and his face just doesn't match the aesthetic. At least it might be something Kazi and his psych doc have in common, what with such scars, and...they both seem to be blind in one eye, too.

Reaching into his white coat's pocket, the doctor removes a pack of cigarettes while undoing the window clasp to slide it open with the other hand. "Glad you're awake. Technically, I'm on my break, so let's make it a quick chat." Who the hell smokes in a hospital room? At least the movement of air from the rain couples with the ventilation of the room itself to push the smoke out completely as he lights up. The giant panda peers over at Kazi's bed with a look that says he knows more than he wants to let on.

"Go on, ask me anything. I might not answer you, but you need a chance to ask anyway and it's more than you'll get from the other staff."

Kazi sits in his unfamiliar bed, in the unfamiliar hospital room, looking over the cards and the balloon from his old room. He has shrugged his hospital gown off, laying in the bed in just a loose pair of boxer shorts, wicked looking scars, some surgical, some not, crossing over his chest and abdomen.

The scrawny lion looks up from the cards in his hands as he hears the soft click of his door opening. He must have looked over these cards a hundred times since he woke up, his fingers tracing over the words written in them, trying to find some familiarity in the writing. He feels so lonely now, alone in a new room. He hasn’t seen the nurse who had been with him since he woke up... Ureshii, was her name?

Kazi’s ears flick as the door clicks shut and his gaze follows the panda across the room, shock registering on his face when the man pulls out a pack of cigarettes, followed by a lingering gaze of longing as he lights one up. He takes a small sip of water from his bedside table and speaks, his voice soft and gravelly from two years of silence. His throat feels like he’s trying to swallow glass, rather than water.

“...I don’t suppose I could have one of those, huh?” Kazi chuckles quietly, knowing immediately the answer he’s going to get. Shaking his head just a bit, a grim look on his face, he looks back down at the cards in his hand and keeps speaking.

“Seriously though... nobody here has given me more than a minute or two, nobody is willing to actually sit and talk to me. I have to know. What the fuck happened to me? Was I in a car accident or something? A fight? I don’t remember anything before waking up here, with scars all over my fucking body, and my eye completely fucked... I know who I am, but I don’t know who wrote me these cards, I don’t know where I am. Does anybody out there know who to contact? Does anybody that actually knows me know that I’m awake? I’m afraid to sleep, because I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and have lost ANOTHER two years. I have nightmares when I DO sleep... I keep seeing this weird, deformed gazelle. I have no idea who he is, but he scares the shit out of me.”

"Right," says the doctor at length after giving the lion plenty of time to just let everything out. "So, the short answer is that you'll remember when you're ready to remember and, when you do, it's probably going to really hurt." The panda exhales a stream of smoke from the side of his mouth out of the window. "Physically, I mean. Emotionally, too."

The psychiatrist leans against the broad window near the opening and rests his unoccupied arm along his lower belly while regarding the kid. Young adult, sure, but still a kid. To the doctor anyway. "The long answer is that you were a sopping pile of blood and fur that nearly needed a wet-vac to collect all the goop, but the animals here managed to put you back together again -- somehow -- and whatever stupid set of circumstances lead to such a messy end don't matter so long as you have a second chance."

The panda neglects to say where this happened, which was telling enough to a beast that frequented that part of that city not too long ago. "Hope you make good use of it. As for loved ones, well... This is Sachi Are. University Hospital for Dodome U." That's in Zebuth, a good few hours from Denko by train. "It takes time to contact people and scheduling during a work week to visit. You don't remember the folks you were living with?" He doesn't say parents and somebody Kazi's age could live alone or board at a University, but that's not fully what the doc is implying at all.

Kazi scrunches his face up, putting his hand on his forehead as the psychiatrist speaks. He can't help but notice that the request for a cigarette was ignored, as well as any mention of the gazelle. His head throbs painfully as he tries to think, to connect the writing in those cards to anything he might reasonably be able to recall. The lion grunts as he squeezes his eyes shut, rubbing his temples. After a few minutes of silence, he opens his eyes and swings his legs slowly off the side of the bed, gripping a walker and carefully making his way to the window ledge, looking out across the medical campus.

“I can’t remember almost anything. My head hurts whenever I try to. I see like... a house? A big house. A boarding house, maybe? I really don’t know.” Kazi licks his lips, wetting them as he looks far to his right, keeping the panda in his view. ''*That’s going to take some getting used to,*'' he thinks. He stands silently, staring at the panda for a little longer, before turning to look out the window at the rain for a short while.

As he stares out into the rain, the image of a vaguely familiar looking black lion comes to mind, seeming to smile at him through the window. Kazi squints and scrunches his eyes again. He knows that lion, he just knows it, but who?

“...There’s a lion. Not me. Roommate, maybe?”

"Maybe. Was it only one? Look, don't force it right now." Cigarette cradled between two fingers, that hand rests against the window sill while his other hand reaches up to rub along his short snout between his eyes. "It's just that I'd prefer to send you home with people you trust rather than calling up people in your records. You may fully recover in a few days, you might not fully recover at all, but you have a better chance of healing being around animals you're more comfortable with."

This isn't the way the doctor usually goes about things, especially concerning patients that have been knocked out for a couple years, but the panda is in a tough position of knowing too much and knowing he shouldn't share it all at once so soon. "We'll get you some additional physical therapy options available to get your movement trained back up again and, well, learning to see with vision impairment. It's massively frustrating at first, but take it from me: You'll get there sooner than you think if you can stay positive."

He makes the mistake of exhaling too far away from the window and begins waving it out the best he can while grimacing at himself.

“It’s only one lion that I can see, yes. I feel like I know him.” Kazi blinks repeatedly, the image of the lion in the window fading as he does. He sways as his head throbs painfully, gripping the walker nearby so that he doesn’t fall over. Having one functioning eye is horribly disorienting still, but as the doctor says, he’ll get used to it eventually.

Kazi struggles back to his bed, laying his head back and closing his eyes as the doctor talks some more, nodding along. It may not seem like a lot, but that much movement is still a struggle for him. He knows that the physical therapy will help, but things feel so bleak at the moment. He hates this feeling of weakness; a five foot walk to a window shouldn’t fatigue him as much as it does.

“I don’t know how you do it, doc. I feel... I don’t know the right words... vulnerable, maybe? Not being able to see, it scares the shit out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everything, to be alive, but I’ve seen myself in the mirror. I look like someone pushed me through a wood chipper. I know damn well not all of these scars are surgical.” A few tears well up in the corner of his eyes as fear and sadness tug at him. He picks up one of the cards again and just stares at it, tracing the words with a finger as he has done so many times before.

For all of his knowledge, the panda is better at dealing with meat-crazed Carnivores than situations like these. Taking one last drag from his cigarette and holding it, he reaches out the window to dab the smoldering leaf into the dampness of the light rain running down the outer wall before flicking it away. Leaning forward a bit more, hand moving to the window panel that slides, the doctor exhales deeply over some few seconds before pulling back and shutting things tight with the latch.

"We're always changing, kid. Always getting nicked and bruised in the day to day. One stranger's side comment can stick with you for weeks, if not years. We get hurt, we heal what we can, we adapt, and continue living." He begins to walk over to the bed and looks down at the card being held. "Honestly, it's better to see the scars of our past than to ignore them. They remind us that no matter how terrible things may have gotten, we're still here, still fighting another day."

Digging something out of his pocket, a well-worn hand reaches over to tuck something behind the lion's ear: A single cigarette. "Fear through trauma is the mind's way of recognizing what hurt us so we stay away from it, even if it won't let us remember who, why, or how we were hurt. You might remember. You might not. You might have to face the root of those fears. You may never see them again. Too many what ifs. You're going to have to take control of what you CAN control, so that means getting an income, a place to live, going to your therapy, making good decisions and being a good person. It's less about the past behind us and more about the future before us that matters."

The psych checks his watch. "Break's up. Better go. Two last things, kid..." The scar-faced panda peers down at the lion with a gaze that speaks of somber seriousness. "Number one, do yourself a favor and stay away from meat. You may have been unconscious when you showed up, but you still had the shakes for weeks in bed." A grim hint about the past, perhaps. "And two, when you're ready, use your bedside tablet or a phone and look up the new funding changes by the new CEO of The Horns Conglomerate. The press releases, not the articles." Video, not text. Kazi may not know who the deer is, but some of the security that follows him around might look familiar.

Kazi smiles a bit, reaching up and running his fingers over the cigarette that was placed behind his ear. “Thanks doc, for everything. Really.” He watches as the panda leaves the room. When he’s alone again, the lion picks up his bedside tablet and starts tapping around on it, looking things up. “Horns Conglomerate, huh? Why does the doc want me to look up something like that?” He taps a bit more on the tablet until a video comes up of a recent press conference.

Before Kazi presses play, he slides out of bed and makes his way to the window where the panda had been smoking, opening it again, and finding a half-used book of matches left there, intentionally or not. He chuckles to himself as he picks them up, slides the cigarette out from behind his ear and lights it, taking a deep drag on it and relishing the wonderful, terrible feeling of heat and smoke filling his lungs. He knows it’s bad for him, especially in a hospital, but he doesn’t particularly care at the moment. Just the familiar feeling of the cigarette in his mouth gives him a small sense of security, of normalcy, a feeling he’s been missing since he woke up. He makes sure to blow the smoke out the window as he presses play on the paused video.

Basic subtitling on the recorded broadcast shows that the recent clip starts with an animal speaking at a podium in front of a crowd of videographers, photographers, and press eager to ask questions. A tall stag named Hartsford is addressing the gathered group with a general statement over fiscal growth and projected outcome for the quarter year. Honestly, except for business investors, it's all a bit boring. The Horns Conglomerate is perhaps THE richest investment and banking company on the island and the island isn't small. Why would watching this be of any importance to Kazi?

With a humble bow of his head, the stag turns to direct attention to another. One introduced as Louis the Red Deer, CEO and son of the Founder, Oguma, and absolutely none of this would be any surprise to Kazi. Horns Cgl. has always been an Herbivore powerhouse with an unforgiving bias in who they employ or which matters they invest in to address. Camera flashes go off as the camera swivels to the side stage to see this Louis approach. He's...small, has a doe-like face, but also wears a calculated stare to match his professional smile. Black-suit-wearing security, most likely bodyguards, accompany the buck after one of the security lions -- one with a flat-top cut mane -- just off-stage gives the deer a pat on the back. The bodyguard caribou -- a female Herbivore whose suit barely hides her muscular physique -- and a lion -- one with very dark fur, freckly facial spots, and a big glowing smile -- that follow along take up position behind the CEO as he begins his address.

"...is how we plan to offer better rates to those with low incomes without outwardly jeopardizing high-value investments..." says this Louis, going on and on, question after question, about complicated business talk and how it affects customers and investors...for Herbivores, Carnivores, and Hybrids. Not only does the suggestion of Carnivore customers and investors seem crazy for Horns Cgl., but the CEO is openly discussing Hybrid politics on broadcast.

However, that may not be the foremost thing for Kazi to notice, if he's even listening at all by that point.

Kazi sits on the small ledge by the window sill, slowly smoking his cigarette, trying to take his time with it. It’s his only one, after all. His eyesight glazes over occasionally as he watches this press conference. He sighs, speaking to nobody in particular. “Why the hell did the doc want me to watch this? Shit!” The lion flails his hands toward the window, as smoke wafts into the room from his mouth as he speaks. ''*Dumbass. You’re gonna get the doc in trouble.*''

Then something of interest actually catches his attention. His head throbs as he catches sight of a lion patting this Louis on the back. Why does that name sound familiar? Why does the sight of that lion make his head hurt? They prod at something buried deep down in his mind, and then he sees it. The deer takes the stage with his two bodyguards, and he sees it. HIM. That dark furred lion he saw earlier. Kazi grunts and clutches his head painfully as his headache intensifies. He’s not paying attention to the video anymore, he can hear the deer speaking about something financial, but he’s focused on the lion behind the deer, staring at him for several minutes as his headache pounds against his skull.

“...Agata.”

Kazi speaks the name of the lion, knowing somehow that it is correct. He knows this lion, he’s shared meals with him in the past. They lived together. They... worked together? “Shi...shi... FUCK! Come on!” His head throbs particularly painfully once; he’s so dizzy, probably a combination of the headache and the fact that he’s inhaled too much smoke. Kazi snuffs the cigarette on the wall outside the window, letting the rain wash away the ash, as he flicks it out, latches the window, and climbs back into bed.

----
Some time later:
----

It’s been several weeks, and Kazi is excited, but also quite nervous. Today’s the day. He’s been working hard with multiple therapists, physical and emotional, and it’s finally happening. He’s leaving the hospital today. He got a visit earlier this morning from the nurse, Ureshii, with a few gifts. It was nice of her to visit on her day off. Some snacks, a card (he added that to the small stack of old get well soon cards), and a small backpack to carry things in. He stands in front of the mirror in his hospital room bathroom, scrubbing his face and looking himself over. The lion staring back at him looks miles better than the lion he saw there weeks ago. He’s groomed, but more importantly... he’s smiling.

Kazi stomps his foot lightly, testing the weight of the new boots that were acquired for him. They land with a firm ‘thud’ on the tile floor. Nice and heavy, just the way he wanted. The jeans hug his hips nicely, and the bright white tank top shows off his toned body in just the right ways, despite all the scarring, his ropy tail swaying slowly behind him as he adjusts the eye patch over his blind eye.

The lion takes a deep breath and starts packing up his things, minimal as they are, in the backpack; four cards, a metallic balloon, he even kept the vase. Even though it’s just a vase for flowers, it has a bit of sentimental value to him now, something to remind him that somewhere out there are people who care about him, waiting for him to remember them, and dammit, he WILL remember them.

He tucks away the snacks in a different pouch so they won’t be crushed, along with a pack of cigarettes the doc snuck him last week. A wallet with some money is tucked into his jeans, and a piece of paper with the name of his destination on it goes into his pocket. That’s everything. Not much, but it’s all his, and he’s ready.

Kazi opens his door, hesitating for just a moment to look back at the now empty room, then makes his way through the hospital ward, thanking those who’ve cared for him these two long years and saying his goodbyes, stopping once more as he reaches the automatic door at the front of the hospital. The door slides open, and Kazi takes a deep breath, steeling himself as he steps through the door, into the unknown. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen from here, but he’s alive, which is more than many who’ve gone through what he has can say. He pulls the paper out of his pocket and reads his destination aloud to himself.

“The Hidden Condo...”

|}}

File:Kazi-icon.gif

2024-09-03T01:34:03Z

Louis:

Kazi

2024-09-03T01:26:15Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Profile| Title= |Image=Missing.png |Name=Kazi the Lion |Series=Beastars (Manga) |Occupation=Dishwasher/Busser |Alignment=Neutral |Gender=Male |Species=Lion |Hangout=Denko |C..."

{{Profile|
Title=
|Image=Missing.png
|Name=Kazi the Lion
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=Dishwasher/Busser
|Alignment=Neutral
|Gender=Male
|Species=Lion
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
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Kazi the Lion stands approximately 198cm (6'5"), and weighs around 68kg (150 lbs). He is quite lean and lanky. His fur is a tawny brown, with a wavy, jet black mane, that he keeps immaculately groomed, with small, rounded ears visible poking up through the mane. His left eye is a strikingly bright yellow, while his right eye is milky white, having been blinded. His body is noticeably deteriorated, losing a good portion of his normal muscle mass after two years in the hospital. The young lion has severe scarring over his upper body, over his right eye, and along his muzzle, several scars visible along his arms and over his upper chest, with more hidden by his clothing.
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|Background=
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At the age of 18, Kazi suddenly dropped out of school, months before graduation, resulting in him being disowned by his fairly wealthy family and kicked out of his childhood home. He spent two years homeless, surviving on scraps on the streets of Denko. Eventually, at the age of 20, he made his way to the Black Market, specifically to a group of lions known as the Shishigumi, joining at a tumultuous time in the organization's history. They were without a leader at the time, but soon were taken over by the hybrid Melon. Kazi was one of the first victims of Melon's maniacal leadership, nearly losing his life after being caught speaking ill of the organization's new boss. Melon attacked Kazi with the intent of killing him; it was only by a miracle that Kazi survived, though he spent two years in a coma and only just recently awoke. He suffers a form of amnesia, likely a trauma response by his body and mind to spare him the horror of his near-death experience.
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|Personality=
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Kazi has a fairly subdued personality nowadays, a far cry from the boisterous, impulsive young lion he used to be. He is kind and caring and very loyal to those who he feels have earned it. He has an inexplicable fear of melons, the sight of them often sending him into panic attacks ranging anywhere from mild shaking to extreme terror.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Kazi Avatar.jpg

2024-09-03T01:19:40Z

Louis:

2023-11-19 - Meteorfalls and Fireballs

2023-11-20T05:48:03Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Meteorfalls and Fireballs |Summary=The citizens of the city of Denko are shaken by disaster. The mayor says that a meteor hit one of the buildings! Fire..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Meteorfalls and Fireballs
|Summary=The citizens of the city of Denko are shaken by disaster. The mayor says that a meteor hit one of the buildings! Fire and medical teams rush onto the scene to help the people in the emergency zone, but there's more going on than they understand.
|Who=[[Marigel]], [[Riz]]
|Date=November 19th, 2023
|Where=Downtown Denko, Beast Island, Senta
|Log=

As usual, Denko is a bustling metropolis during the day filled with commuter and business traffic on the packed streets, scores of animals walking the sidewalks, and even some licensed flying animals soaring overhead. As the clock ticks by and the hour shows that school and office work has let out, it's no surprise then that even the trains to get around tend to be packed. A few classes at the universities continue on, of course, and service industry jobs hardly ever close for long each day. Whether mechanical or digital, bells are often heard as customers come and go from the various small shops that line the busiest streets. Anybody familiar with big city life will know the flow very well, although the denizens might take more getting used to.

While something like pedestrians on the broad sidewalks might be a varied mix of beasts, there is some pattern amid the chaos. Larger animals tend to walk closer to the center of the walkway and smaller animals to the sides. Same-species couples tend to get more right of way compared to other groups and there is an unmistakable and undeniable bubble of personal space that seems to be present whenever some animals are near others. This nation has words for those two peoples, however:

Carnivores.

Herbivores.

There is a bell marking the exit of another customer from a small grocery store with a sign in the window claiming it to be a specialty place for Large Breed Carnivores. The door opens with the press of a hip and a rather large brown bear steps through the big doorway with arms wrapped around two hefty paper bags full of purchased goods. Despite his size, it's still awkward to fully see everything while carrying such a load. As he steps by the side of the trail where smaller animals walk, there is a protest from one couple: a pair of shrews only a few inches taller yell at the bear's carelessness. The bear manages to quickly double-step to avoid incident, then twist enough to call out in apology (if they care to listen), though this places the massive ursine walking in a way that introduces a new blind spot to where he's going.

One would think that it's just another day in the city from how things are progressing. But then, who knows what's going on in the shadows and alleyways? Probably the people in them, but they're be ignorant to the event in the skies. Off in the distance, towards the mainland in the sky, is a giant rolling ball of flame. A meteor? Those that happen to be looking up, and at an angle where they can see past all the skyscrapers, won't have long to look, because the great rolling red ball of flame is going ''insanely'' fast. The air superheats and leaves a long white jet trail behind it, or maybe that's some kind of magic residue. If anyone has magical senses, there's an insane amount coming from the destructive force. As people try to react, they only get about five seconds. Enough to point, maybe scream and flee, before the meteor slams through the upper part of a skyscraper.

It slams through diagonally and does nothing to slow the catastrophic ball, which then falls straight down towards the sidewalk and street, right around where Riz is. It's about this time though, that against the laws of physics, but certainly not magic, the meteor shrinks. The flaming burning light channeling down and getting smaller and smaller until it's in the shape of a girl with wings. This impacts the ground with way less force than the rapid descent warrants. The girl skids, flips, then comes to a rolling stop right in front of Riz's way. Smoke or maybe steam flows up on her. No, from the smell it's definitely smoke. The light obscuring her features blinks away, almost like a warning light going on and off a few times. There's still magic radiating out of her, but it's way less than before, if one can sense such things.

"Uuuuaaaahhooof..." she moans from where she's come to rest.

Turned away as he is, Riz is unable to see any of the incoming catastrophe as it bears down upon the city. The meteor punches a hole through what is now an empty office highrise -- thankfully the workers have recently left the building -- and causes debris to rain down upon the surrounding area. As it would happen with any residents of a city experiencing such sudden crisis, the animals react to run for cover even as the worst of the danger has since passed. Whatever social biases there may be, they quickly disappear as animals large and small, Carnivore and Herbivore alike, help one another to get in off the street. A few are not so fortunate. No doubt many animals are dialing emergency services already.

Instead, the sound of impact and yelling throws others into confusion as to what is going on that don't see it happen. Riz, being one of those animals, cringes at the loud sound as he backsteps only to wind up tripping over something and tumbling over backwards. Rather, he trips over somebody. Landing on his back against the hard sidewalk surface, his jeans-covered legs rest over the top of this figure, but even pushing the half-emptied bags over the front of his hoodie aside onto the ground doesn't help him to identify who it is; broken egg runs down his face that even a quick wipe doesn't help (or a subconscious licking of the fingers after). All he sees are wings.

"Hey, are you all right, bird?" asks the bear as he tries to sit up, but the positioning is very awkward. Mentally, he's distressed about the loss of some of his food, but that's just his stomach talking. "Something just happened. We need to get inside. Need me to carry you?" An anklet on the bear's right foot hidden underneath his denim pants but over his sock beeps a few times near the mystery person's...ear?

Bird? What bird? Marigel rubs the side of her head and tries to get her eyes to focus. Did someone just trip over her? She shifts her arms, but isn't going anywhere with someone the size of Riz's legs above her. The wings on her back flap a few times, sending some feathers flying on their way. Someone's talking to her. Her cat ears cock towards it. Oh, it's whatever is on her. She hrgms, trying to process the words over the ringing in her ears. Apparently a bird got hurt? "Carry?" Maybe she should be carried. She can't even see straight yet. That stupid wizard. Most of the smoke coming off of her has started to dissipate. Her stomach rumbles, though it's doubtful one could hear it over all the sounds of scattering people.

"Hold on." It takes a push of one bag of groceries to the side to make room to plant a hand and redistribute his weight, but it's enough for the towering wall of fur to negotiate the position of his legs. One, then the other, are pulled away and to the side allowing the bear the opportunity to get them underneath himself, sneakers firm against the food-littered walkway. Leaning in, reaching under, Riz aims to get the poor animal into his arms so that he can begin carrying her back toward the small store he just came out of. Being a creature of almost nightmarish levels of natural strength, as a large breed Carnivore, this might not be that big of a problem. He finds most other beasts to be very very light.

"Once we get inside, I'll find a spot to let you lie down and we'll call an ambulance." Not once in this does Riz get a closer look at the 'bird' even with his eyes clearly wide open and his pupils narrowed in focus to stare through the sting of egg albumen in finding a path to safety indoors.

Marigel is incredibly light for her size, so it's even easier for Riz! Now she's picked up! Yeah, okay, that's fine. Sure! It's probably another person who wants some of her magic. Go fig. She rubs at her eyes, stop being blurry! She blinkblinkblinks. Phew, there! That's better. Okay. She looks around to get her bearings. Doesn't look like Center City at a glance, but that doesn't mean it isn't. She hasn't explored the whole place. Wait, ambulance? "What's an ambulaaahhhh!" She screams as she finally looks at what is carrying her. It's a flipping bear! WHAT! Her tail twirls into backflips and she FREAKS out in Riz's arms, struggling to get free! But really she's not that strong, and if she does manage to get out she'll end up face-planting into the floor rather than roll out in any kind of stylish way.

A mixture of annoyance and frustration overcome the bear's facial expression as he tries to carefully navigate through the door that another animal thankfully holds open without hitting the girl's head on the frame...only to have her suddenly start freaking out. "Relax, easy, I'm not going to eat you or anything," objects Riz only to lose the grip when other animals turn to look at the distress. Her descent to the floor isn't graceful, it would seem.

Other animals taking shelter inside the relatively small store with wide aisles for big beasts gather around. At first, it's to help. That, however, turns into staring. "What kind of animal is-"

"She's a hybrid?"

"...oh, it's a hybrid."

Riz takes a moment to furiously rub the egg from his face with a sleeve before speaking up. "It doesn't matter. I thought she was a bird, but I fell over her when I heard that explosion. Are you hurt?"

Marigel is going to have the opportunity to look up and see a brown bear, a rhino, a mongoose, a coyote, a duck, and a leopard either gathered about or nearby.

Marigel grnfs as she hits the floor. But at least she's not in the arms of a giant bear monster. Proximity is still problematic though, so she ignores the minor pain and does a half crawl forward before getting up on her knees and looking around. Riz's reassurances don't fall on deaf catears now that her senses are more or less restored. She looks from one animal to the next. "What the..." Animal people? Is that a DUCK? Wait, bird? She gets up to her feet and finds a shelf to get her back to! Yeah, back safety. Her tail smacks against the lower shelf, and her eyes dart between each person. Suspicious! "Where did that wizard end up sending me. What a psychopath." She murmurs. She finally looks up at Riz. "I'm a little hot and a lot hungry. And I also might be hallucinating because you all look like animal people."

Those gathered look among themselves in an effort to understand one another's feelings or thoughts without actually saying anything other than some confused vocalizations. "Well, if you're hungry, we've got food. We're in a food store," says the bear.

"If she's a hybrid, she may not be able to digest animal proteins."

"Well, you can avoid dairy and onions and grapes, just to be safe."

It would seem that eating according to your diet is a very important thing in this culture and it's not always so simple as just going to any store and buying a snack. An entire conversation can be had in debating the dietary needs of a hypothetical animal hybrid, all while ignoring the confusion had over the beasts present being animals. After all, she was an animal, too. Bits and pieces of a few, by the look of it.

"Wow," comments the mongoose. "You must have one heck of a family tree."

While there is commentary and discussion, the bear wanders over and picks up a basic soy-based protein bar naturally sweetened with some red bean and carries it back to the gathering. "Hey, you have to pay for that," objects the leopard which, by the uniform, must work here even though he isn't a large breed Carnivore.

Sighing, Riz sticks his hand into his pocket only to find it empty. "I put my change in one of the bags I was carrying home." Going back outside right now isn't the best option until help arrives to clear things up. There are sirens in the background, at least. "Somebody have 200 yen for the hybrid girl? Hey, what's your name anyway?"

Marigel shifts her gaze from speaker to speaker, ready to maybe bolt if things get out of hand. But they all just seem to be talking calmly about what she can eat? So they're being considerate? Maybe she's judging too much by their appearances. She supposes if she saw some of her sisters wandering around randomly she might be off guard if she didn't know their past and how they came to be that way. Okay. Okay. She takes in a deep breath. Even if she is hallucinating, or that wizard's spell sent her to some world other than TRI, she's here right now in one of those states. So yeah. She nods to herself, then looks at the mongoose. "I might, I don't remember before I lost my soul." She then looks to the big bear and at the protein bar. Then he begs for money. "Marigel." Hybrid huh? She'll let that slide for the moment. Who knows what might trigger these people. Animals. Hm. Oh! "Candy!" She says suddenly. "If anything, candy instead, please." Manners.

The soul comment at least causes the duck and coyote to whisper among themselves. If anything, the girl doesn't seem all that hurt, so the gathering slowly starts to spread apart. The cat keeps an eye on those present with worries over his job as much as whatever it was that happened outside. The rhino keeps vigil near the door while trying to get a better look at the damage done. The mongoose tries to make small talk and mentions something regarding a meteor, but that there was no crater. The bear looks between Marigel and the soy bar in his hand a couple times, then takes a few steps to hand the bar over to the clerk.

"Nevermind, I guess. I- Hmm. Oh, wait." Riz goes about patting his pockets on his hoodie and is met with the crinkle of plastic. "Hey, I still have some honey chews." The cat gives the bear a suspicious look until the bag of chewy candy is removed. They don't sell that brand here. Dumping a few individually wrapped toffee-like candies out into a very large hand, he holds them out in offering. "I'm Riz the Brown Bear. Sorry for falling on top of you. You okay?"

Marigel's tailtip twitches back and forth as she assess the room. Animals seem to be calming down and going back about their business. Okay. Okay. Her ear cocks at the mention of a meteor, highly suspecting that might have been her, but she's not about to self-incriminate in an alien world! What if she gets thrown into prison? Wait, wouldn't Luna eventually come looking for her? Not that she's the biggest fan of her or anything, but...wait, candy?! She looks to the offering, and giggles lightly as he says his name. "I guess my full name would be Marigel angel cat human then." She reaches over and attempts to take all of them from his hand. "Oh, right. That was you, hahaha. Candy always works as an apology for me. " She titters slightly nervously. "Um, yeah, no broken bones. I'll need to clean my outfit though." It's a tad scuffed up and dirty from the land and roll.

"How bad is it?" voices the mongoose as he wanders over closer to the rhino. They both peer through the windowed store front trying to discern the state of things. There seem to be no other pedestrians outside wandering about. Everybody must have taken shelter in a real hurry.

When the rhino replies it's with a slow shake of the head first and words, softly spoken, don't follow for a few seconds. "Hard to tell from this angle. I see a lot of smoke, though." The sounds of sirens persist and come from many directions.

The duck wanders over to the clerk's counter while pulling out a phone. "I'll see if I can find a news broadcast," she offers. "Can you help? I'm not the best with these." The cat behind the counter works with the avian to navigate news tabs in an app.

"Why do you look so bummed?" asks the coyote of the bear while curiously looking over the girl. "You're safe. And so's your friend."

Riz also keeps an eye on Marigel, but it's not out of the same regard that other beasts stare. The bear sighs. "If I don't get back to my dorm in time I could get in trouble." The school is probably very well locked down at this point, although official head count won't be for a few hours. He'd normally have a part time work shift during these hours anyway, but it's a day off.

The coyote does dig out a sanitary wipe from her purse and offers it to Marigel, though. "It won't wash clothes, but it could help you clean up a little, maybe feel a bit better. Do you live in Denko or are you visiting?"

The angel catgirl keeps hold of her candy tightly in one hand while receiving the sanitary wipe with the other. Well that was nice. She brings it up to her nose to sniff it before wiping at some of the dirt on her skin at the least. How nice! Huh. Her cat ears twitch and she tries to think if she's ever heard of a place called Denko. Nope, never! But if she tells them that, will they figure out she was the destructive meteor that fell from the sky? Yeah better keep it secret for now just in case. "Visiting, but I'm lost." That's generically safe! She tucks the cloth aside then looks at her candy filled hand. Yes. She dumps all of it in her mouth and starts chewing, looking over at Riz.

"Hey, careful, don't choke. The clerk is being a cheapskate."

"I'm just trying to keep my job! If you care so much, buy a fruit soy for her to drink," responds the clerk in kind. He's clearly not the owner of the place. He's just a young employee.

Before there can be a rebuttal, a siren announces an emergency vehicle rushing by just outside. Flashing lights streak as the deafening noise of a firetruck zooms through followed by two ambulances and a police vehicle. Each passing vehicle comes with shifting Doppler and, in mere seconds, the sound changes as they all move on their way. For that moment, the natives around Marigel all stare somberly toward the window in silence.

"...we can find somebody to help with that..." softly assures Riz.

Marigel chewchewchews, ears flicking towards the sounds from outside and the talking. It's not like she's to blame for the destruction, even if she caused it! It was the mage who used her in his spell workings. She peaks out a window. This place seems modern even if it is full of animal people. She swallows the candy and feels instantly better. And anyone with any kind of magic sense will feel a giant surge of magic just rippling up and around her, as if someone had just tapped five hundred ancient wizard souls and funneled all of their magical energy into a single rush of power. Of course if you can't sense magic, the most you'll feel is mayyybe a gentle rustle of the air around Marigel. "That'd be great." She turns to look at Riz. "Although I think I'm a tad far from home." Like probably in a different world far.

"Do you ever get tired from work and just want to be able to have a social life?" asks an unfamiliar voice coming from the counter. It's not the big cat or the duck. "There's a way. BeastBook!"

"BeastBook!"

"BeastBook."

"BeastBook?" all chime in different voices.

"That's right. Keep in touch with your besty beasties from the comfort of your own home or phone."

"Why, before I signed up for BeastBook I didn't know how I was going make it through each day at work. But now, after I-" The voices stop as the clerk helps the duck press the Skip button on the ad playing.

"-join us now as first responders are on the scene of what appears to be an unexpected catastrophe in the business sector of the City of Denko." The clean calmly and slowly spoken words are typical of the television presentation seen in the island nation. The rhino and the mongoose don't move from the store front, but they, along with everybody other beast native, turns attention toward the duck's phone. All, at first, save for Riz. He eyes Marigel quietly with very kind eyes, although a few gears turn in his head regarding something.

"Denko officials have stated that there has been significant damage to the top four floors of the Gizou Medical Technologies offices. Eye witness reports claim that 'something fell from the sky'. Debris has littered much of the surrounding area causing widespread damage and destruction. According to helicopter teams, the spread may stretch multiple kilometers. Due to necessary prioritization of rescue personnel and the reports of spreading fires, residents are asked to remain indoors yet alert. If you must evacuate, travel calmly by foot."

"Evacuate? Is it that bad?" voices the mongoose.

"Sounds serious," responds the coyote. Riz remains quiet while the others comment as the reporter reads on.

Marigel's attention gets drawn towards the sounds. She wonders if BeastBook might be good for Morai to keep track of all of Luna's wives. But the ad is skipped! Well, maybe she'll try to remember if she ever ends up back in the right reality. Right now it looks like she's stuck in a world of animal people. The magic energy exploding out of her quickly starts to fade away, not that she is bothering to do anything about it herself. "A catastrophe." Her ears fold back slightly. They don't mean that literally right? Like a CATastrophe? Surely no one actually saw her hurtling through the sky and could identify her? Wasn't she going really fast? Maybe she should make herself scarce. She tries not to talk over the news too much, but still asks. "Does anyone know dimensional magic?" None of them LOOK like magic users, and usually she tries to avoid them because they tend to find her body as great resource for spells, but staying here and getting possibly arrested or killed for the damages caused don't sound like a better solution than being someone's magic battery for awhile.

"Medical teams will assist anybody harmed either through transportation to local medical facilities or nearby aid camps," continues the report as those present listen and discuss it among themselves. Riz, absolutely towering over most in the store except the rhino, peers down at Marigel once again when she asks a question.

"I don't think anybody knows anything like that around here. The only magic I hear about is through ceremony at the temples. A priest might know more," he says, voice low enough to be library conversational.

"Helicopter teams are reporting a thick black smoke coming from Gizou Medical Technologies although they are unsure what the source might be. GMT's offices host more than five hundred employees, yet they had left at the end of office hours only moments before the incident took place. Overnight and cleaning crews seem to be accounted for and there seem to be more injuries to those of the local area than from those from the building itself."

Riz leans over to be a bit closer. "Why do you ask?"

Marigel's eyes widen as Riz leans over towards her. Yeah he's been kind to her and all that, but he's still a huge grizzly bear, it's natural to be afraid of such things. "A priest?" Gosh, temples and cults and ceremonies? Sounds like a recipe for her to get sacrificed piece by piece. "I don't have a soul, there's no way they'd have any use for me." Just nip that whole route and keep any rumors about her wanting a priest dead in the water. She'll consider that a last ditch effort if nothing else pans out. That news report, sounds like no ones dead? That's good. Not that it's her fault the mage sent her hurtling like this, but causing less 'catlateral' damage is better than causing more. "Why? To help me get unlost. They could track my origins, right?" Despite being a magical battery multiple times, she's never used it herself, so it's not like she knows the ins and outs.

"Well, maybe" The brown bear raises a hand to his head and scratches a bit. While Riz is by no means stupid, he's still pretty inexperienced in matters outside local social politics and the juvenile judicial system. A glance around the store at the other worried animals listening intently to the news broadcast reveals that, while a few of them are adults of some notable age, nobody really looks like a 'magic expert'...for whatever that would make somebody look like. "Maybe somebody here knows something more."

"-with the streets near the incident locked down for rescue crews to have access. While evacuation routes exist by foot, any local public transportation will be limited until things are clear. The mayor has released a statement," states the reporter in the video on the duck's phone, "regarding what is now being called an accident:"

A lion is shown on the screen next offering a soft smile. Strangely, his teeth are not sharp like other Carnivores. Instead, they are all designed after the plant-eating teeth of Herbivores. The effect can be jarring. "Evidence shows that the terrible tragedy suffered by the people of my city comes not at the hands of some attack or statement against Gizou or the Carnivores that work there, but instead due to what seems to be a fragment of a meteor that broke up in the atmosphere. The city will render aid to those families affected as it is able, but, for now, my heart and those of the council members go out to those in distress."

The image cuts back to the reporter. The rhino squints as he looks back out through the storefront. Two cheetahs carry a poodle over to a vehicle. The dog seems to have been injured somehow and they must be trying to get the canine to some medical care.

The others murmur about the meteor confirmation. It's powerful imagery in their culture, to be sure. "A meteor, huh?" says Riz under his breath, perhaps to Marigel. "I wonder how big it was. Strange that it didn't leave a crater."

A meteor? For real? Marigel can't believe her luck. So no one noticed it was her, that's fantastic! Looks like she's in the clear as far as blame goes! Hooray! Her tail sways in celebration. If her luck holds, then maybe the mage that sent her off with his stupid spell died in the aftermath of using more magic then they knew what to do with! The angel catgirl is all fanged smiles now. Of course, Riz probably knows the truth, having been there when she came down and all...but uh...he's keeping it a secret, hopefully? "So strange! But the lion looks trustworthy, I'm sure it's the truth." There's someone speaking on behalf of something like a government, so this must not be TRI. Unless she's in a really weird part of Synthatek, but then magic wouldn't work, so she wouldn't have kept hurtling through the sky, right? So yeah, got to be a different dimension. Hopefully Luna notices her missing at some point and finds her or she can find a way back.

Those from areas without a governing body over a territory yet are familiar with the concept might immediately recognize the shadows of democracy when the mayor provides a statement. Elected officials. He even mentions a city council. If it goes higher up, there could be other governing bodies above that and perhaps even a group that helps run the island nation as a whole. However, there is much that people wouldn't see. Not everything is as ideal as the island natives would have themselves and others believe.

The mongoose turns his attention to the storefront window as the rhino watches the cats load somebody carefully into the backseat of a car. While the rhino watches, the mongoose's gaze drifts a bit higher in silent confusion.

"Could be. Doesn't really matter as long as every animal in need gets some help, really," responds the bear to the self-titled 'angel cat human'. "But I'm going to be one of the animals in need if I can't get back before my curfew." Seems that students must have strict hours for going out if they're to make it back in time. Again, Riz would normally be at his part time job now, but he's very concerned about how long this will take. Doesn't help that his grocery bags were left outside when he carried Marigel inside and he doesn't really have the money to buy more on his recent paycheck. "That reminds me, I should probably step out and try to rescue what I can from my food."

The moment the last cheetah enters the car, the shutting of the door causes a deep sound to reverberate throughout the building. Items shake for just a few seconds and everybody suddenly goes on alert again, wide-eyed and spooked.

Marigel cocks her cat ears to the side. Curfew? "You have a bed time?" She finds that hard to believe, who could tell a giant bear monster when to go to bed. Maybe he has parents and is younger than he looks? "I can help carry them, I guess." That part is her fault, since she got carried in here after all by Riz, so offering to help shouldn't hurt. At the door shut thrumming her tail goes rigid and she snaps her attention towards it, instinctively moving towards the doorway to exit the building. Less closed in space the better when in danger. "What was that?" She whispers to...Riz maybe? Or maybe everyone.

The mongoose does a hop and points a finger with a loud exclamation. "It was- A f- A fireball! In the sky, over near where the meteor hit the building!" Everybody murmurs; the reporter on the broadcast is slow to include the sudden announcement about a reported explosion that left them out of contact with one of their investigating helicopter crews. The rhino, still standing guard at the door, doesn't see Marigel's approach because he's too busy watching the events unfold. For as strong as he looks to be, he's entirely powerless to do much as he also points.

"I think I see your fireball. It's...heading this way."

Horrifically true, a streak of fire seems to be heading in the general direction of the neighborhood that includes the Large Breed Carnivore Grocery those present hide inside. "Oh, crap!" yells the mongoose as he immediately flees the glass storefront to head as far back into the small store as he can.

Riz's eyes dart from the window to the ones now scrambling to the back to the rhino and then to Marigel. Instead of taking cover, he rushes forward after her to try to keep her from going outside. "Hold on, wait up a moment." The rhino is way too mesmerized to move.

"Come on... Step on the gas, step on the gas. Move your asses; they- They don't see it coming..." A fist bangs against the glass, but from outside the evening sun's glare keeps the cheetahs in the vehicle from seeing or hearing anything until illumination lowers enough to be visible in the driver's side mirror.

Despite the dangerous intensity rippling through her, the angel catgirl doesn't flee to the back like the mongoose does. But maybe she should? It's not like she has a big herd mentality or anything like that. The cat in her wants to know what's up! The angel in her doesn't want to be inside if danger is about. So just more pulling at her to go outside rather than in, but Riz is telling her to wait. Despite believing herself to be a strong independent person, that's all talk when a large bear tells her what to do, even if it isn't aggressive sounding. So, she stops and looks at Riz. "We should get out. Right? We should. Shouldn't we?" She looks to the mongoose, then to Riz, then back out, ears twitching this way and that trying to track all of the sounds at once.

The driver of the vehicle finally notices something terrifying approaching their location in the mirror's reflection. Mouths move in exclamation, eyes widen, and the passenger leans out the window to look up at the blazing ball of metal and fire crashing down toward the street. Tears immediately well up in the passenger's eyes even as the car lurches forward with so much acceleration that the tires spin against the asphalt as they vie for grip. The skyfallen inferno comes down hard against the street surface just where the car was only seconds ago. The rough design of the helicopter is visible through the flames; its momentum causes it to skid across the pavement while a still spinning rotor causes damaged blades to slap at the road chaotically and pull the aircraft in an erratic spin.

The impact isn't just visible from inside the store. It's also easily heard throughout the initial impact, the teeth-rattling scraping of metal, and a still-powered engine roaring yet unable to go anywhere. The rhino finally pulls back into reality and turns away from the glass to face Riz and Marigel even as the others taking cover scream and yell from the danger. Riz never has a chance to respond to the angelic catgirl.

The blades almost immediately fly apart from the abuse and debris gets flung and bounced around. One piece catches the speeding vehicle's back tire, breaking the axle and rupturing the tube, causing it to rapidly slide out of control until it hits a parked car, flips, and rolls. Another piece loudly bounces off the glass leaving only a crack; the rhino and bear both move in to protect the girl as much as they can with their burly bodies in sheer reaction to the stimulus. Not even a second later another piece shatters the storefront and the rhino's rugged back is showered with glass shrapnel.

Marigel's ears fold back as the explosion rocks the area. Her tail curls in a loop de loop and her wings flutter as if she's about to take off. She doesn't though! Flying inside is not a good idea. "Wh-" She doesn't finish even her first word as shrapnel is incoming. Is she fast enough to get out of the way? Who knows! Because a rhino and bear get between her and the destruction! She can sense the impact on the rhino though, something hit him. But he's a rhino right? Aren't they made of leather or something? Maybe he's fine? While some of her sisters are passive and would likely just go try and hide or maybe cling to one of the larger mobile barriers protecting them, she fights against that piece of her brain and speaks up quickly. "Did someone shoot a helicopter from the sky?! Are they after all of us? Did they aim for me? Or is this normal around here?" After all if she's in a different world or dimension, maybe exploding helicopter's happen frequently. She doesn't have the hero gene, so thinking about asking about helping survivor's or others hasn't occurred to her yet.

As fast as it happens, it's over. The helicopter stirs in place, but doesn't move. Its rotor blades are all too damaged or missing to keep moving as a threat. The storefront glass removed in such a violent way, not only is the sight of the downed copter all the clearer, but the smell of its fire-driven fumes become apparent, too. "Is everybody all right?!" calls out somebody from the back amidst the crying and general distress from having such a terrible thing happen in plain view.

"I don't know what happened," comes a very simple answer from the bear. Despite the crazy amounts of stress thick in the air and tenseness of muscle of those present, the bear is able to do an amazing job at remaining...gentle. Soft. Safe. Like a giant teddy bear. "But it's fine as long as we're okay."

"ARE you okay?" interjects the rhino with a far more worried expression, widened eyes searching both the bear and the girl for any signs of immediate injury. "I felt the glass against my back, but I think I'm fine. Takes more than that to get to me." The rhino talks tough, but he's mostly well. Minor cuts only. "I just think we- Wait, that car!"

The rhino pulls himself away from the two and bolts outside through the undamaged door, equally untouched bell jingles happily at the motion, as somebody else in the back yells out in protest. "Don't go out there!"

Riz reaches to place a very large hand on Marigel's shoulder as he turns his head to look over the property damage. "But, no, this isn't normal. Probably just an accident. Why would somebody be after you?"

Marigel checks herself over, patting here and there. Clothes are still dirty. Skin just has smudges here and there from her initial impacts and landing. "Fine here, not a scratch from that. Thanks." Although her general sense of danger isn't so much from physical threats as it is people hunting and capturing her. She actually IS about to follow the rhino outside to get a better look at things from curiosity if nothing else, but a bear holding her shoulder is more than enough to keep her in place, even if he didn't mean it as an intentional don't move gesture. She nods at Riz. "Lots of reasons, but mostly for experimenting and spell battery usage, oh I'm not supposed to tell people that." It's a bad idea to advertise herself as a never ending magical resource for obvious reasons. She's been locked in a mages prison more than once, it's getting old!

On the bright side, the brown bear has no idea what precisely that means and he doesn't exactly get a chance to ask about it further before the rhino throws open the door again. He's out of breath, panting, and leans heavily against the door's frame. "I need- I- The car-" The rhino is staring at the only other large breed in the building: Riz. "Somebody is trapped. You gotta help. The fire- Just come on -- hurry! I can't do it alone."

It would seem Marigel's notion to go outside is finally warranted. The brown bear looks to Marigel quietly before shifting his weight to fully rise in order to follow. Time seems to be of the essence.

Despite the destruction, urgency, and possibility of multiple deaths that have just occurred, the angel catgirl smiles at Riz as he looks at her, one of her fangs gleaming briefly in the light. She then turns and will hop outside through the broken window, careless of the razor sharp glass that surely still occupies its space. It's almost like she doesn't care if she gets cut by them. Or maybe she's just young and foolish and thinks she's invincible? Once outside she'll stretch her wings out fully, feathers straining as if wishing they could be free of their holdings. Did she really not get cut? Agility! She takes a look around! The rhino said someone was trapped and there was fire!

The smell of spilled fuel becomes apparent once outside whereas only the acrid smell of smoke and burning plastics was most notable indoors. Marigel makes it outside before the bear is able to go through the door; the door seems to remain open even as Riz leaves it. The mongoose is there peering out at the devastation yet refuses to leave the building. Inside, the duck calls emergency services to let them know of what they are probably already aware.

The road is as chaotic of a scene as somebody might imagine a helicopter crash onto a used city road to be. More than one parked car is totaled or heavily damaged. Not one hundred feet away there is a car flipped upside-down, the chassis crumpled from its own weight, leaving damaged doors and collapsed windows to cut off most avenues of escape. Shattered safety glass and metal fragments litter the area. The bear follows the rhino about halfway before pausing to look around. From Marigel's perspective it can be easy to see how overwhelming such a hellscape can be.

"Over here!" yells the rhino and the bear hurries over. What the two would-be rescuers of the car passengers don't see is the trail of fuel on the blacktop. The piece of metal that damaged the car's axle must have also punctured the fuel tank. The blazing wreckage of the aircraft through heat alone has set the fumes ablaze. It's not a direct line of liquid gas, though. The fire has breakpoints where it takes time to ignite the next patch or puddle of inflammable evaporate, but fire is terrifyingly efficient at spreading.

The cheetah driver is trapped inside along with the unconscious poodle in the backseat. Coughing, the disoriented cat struggles to try to get free. "Maybe through the sunroof! The sunroooo-ghkkaff kaff! And my friend- My friend was here but he's gone. And there's this other guy in the back!" To access the sunroof the rhino and bear would have to lift the car, but the people inside might need help getting out. And the passenger cheetah that was leaning out the window before the crash? He must have been thrown free, but to where?

Marigel takes it all in. She's seen some horrifying scenes, but usually they're from magic spells going wrong. Peoples insides exploded into outsides, that kind of thing. This is new. Despite being able to explode with magic by eating candy, she's never taken up spell casting herself! "Are there any mages around here?!" She yells into the streets! "Someone cast snowfall or blizzard!" She's used to there being spellcasters about, so surely that'll stir someone into action. But she's not going to wait for an answer. She runs over to where the bear and rhino are heading for the upturned car. Is she strong? Nope! But that doesn't stop her from trying anyway. She doesn't seem to care if fire is going to come and possibly engulf her at some point, or the shards of glass she puts her hands against as she pulls at one of the cars broken windows. If she pulls hard enough maybe she can snap it out and help the trapped animals inside! She'll flap her wings to give her a little extra pulling power.

It's all pretty frantic and uncoordinated. The bear and rhino also try to find places to grab, to support, while trying to lift the vehicle enough to expose the roof window. The vehicle rocks a bit, but it only serves to weaken and collapse just a few inches more. There is a very real sense of panic that starts to creep in.

"Marigel, can you- If we lift the car, can you get in under and help guide them out through the sunroof?" grunts the bear. The rhino widens his footing but doesn't wait for an answer.

"On the count of three," the rhino huffs, knuckles going white in their grip on buffeted metal. "One. Two. Thr- Hrrrrgh!"

The metal sound that follows is sickening as the two large beasts dig in hard and heft the car upwards. Muscles flex, limbs tremble, jaws clench. Knowing every second counts, the driver starts to wriggle in-between the broken front seats to head in the direction of the only opening left large enough to safely allow exit. The poodle lies there in a crumpled heap nearby, completely zonked out, but there's no time to stop and help the dog just yet. He has to get out first. A grasping hand reaches outward while the car rocks unsteadily in the animals' grips.

The rhino exhales in great effort. "''Hurry...!''"

Sadly, if there's one thing many of Luna's soul-stolen wives have, it's a general rapid response to requests. So when Marigel is asked to switch tactics she does so immediately, pulling away cut up lightly bleeding hands and getting down on her hands and knees, tail swaying wildly as adrenaline starts to run through her. She reaches out and grabs hold of the reacher's wrist with both of her hands and yanks, pulls, and tugs, wings flapping like crazy.

Not that many would be paying a lot of attention, but a small white pinprick of magic starts to form ten yards away from the group. Once it appears it starts to flood upwards, like a small firework fountain, minus any sound effects.

Little by little, tug by tug, the cheetah gets closer and closer to that window despite the awkward angle, despite the cramped confines, and despite limbs and head aching in ways that just makes a person want to curl up from the pain. Progress is made. First, the arm. Then, his head. Then the shoulders, the other arm, and legs kick and push at anything they can. The unconscious dog gets kicked, too, but there's no time to apologize. The poodle may not have even felt it.

Half-in and half-out as the cat is, dropping the car now would be unthinkable and fatal. The pair struggle, yet they keep it aloft. Somehow. Marigel's guidance and help pays off soon; once there's enough space for the driver to stretch their legs fully, they quickly help scramble out and across the littered asphalt to a safe enough distance.

"I'm free!" exclaims the cat in a voice dripping with exhaustion before trying to hug the strange girl that helped him. The words act like a trigger. The strength drains from the rhino's arms and the bear alone is unable to keep the car up. It drops with a crunch and the rhino can't stop apologizing while panting. That took all he had.

"Catch your breath and we'll try again," says the bear. The beasts have no idea how limited the time might be.

"I gotta- I've...gotta find my friend, too. I don't know where he went, what happened. What- What DID happen? Is that a helicopter?!"

Marigel is hugged! That's the third? Fourth time someone has done close contact with her. It's like being stuck with Calint the eternal touchy-feely hugger. Well this is a lower level. It's fine though, it's in a moment of triumph and all! Her hug back is light and quick, neither encouraging or discouraging it to continue. Once free she wipes some sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Phew. Yeah, right, still the dog in the car. You can't leave a dog in a car when fire is coming! You have to roll down a window! She nods at the cat. "It crashed, we're all going to go up in fire soon." She says it like it doesn't matter to her, as if one were discussing a cloudy weather day.

The white pinprick has fountained up even more now, and while it's not a flaming crashed helicopter, it isn't nothing either. It's quickly taking on a human shape as well, about six foot or so. Looks like someone is teleporting in? Never the safest mode of transportation on TRI as teleporting and dimensional travel can often result in injury or death.

"Fire? What fire?" comes the question from both the bear and rhino almost in unison. Being closer to the back end of the vehicle, the rhino only now examines the greasy stuff on his hands. He then sniffs it.

"It's gas!" he yells, taking a step back, searching around only to see what Marigel had already spotted. He points with dread. "The fire is- The gas- It's coming this way!" The bear clenches his jaw and fists in frustration.

"Get out of here if you've got gas on you!" commands the bear. "Go wash up. Move!" The rhino hesitates, glancing at the last occupant of the car, before starting to sob in guilt as he rushes back toward the store.

The mongoose at the store front opens the door for the rhino quizzically as they all have questions as to what's going on. The coyote hurries over to guide the crying rhino to the bathroom, but the mongoose no longer watches the large breed. His eyes are fixed upon whatever is going on out there completely apart from the emergency. "What the..."

Riz quickly paces back and forth beside the car, working himself up, before reaching up to yank his hoodie off and toss it away off to the side. Attacking the car like a real predator, the bear rushes forward to grip where he can to lift. He growls and fights the mass of the car along with the clock, tugging, heaving, claws digging through plastic and upholstery to scrape against metal in their grip.

There's no denying it; the bear looks bulkier and more monstrous by the second. Even if he manages to lift the car, though, the dog isn't awake to pull himself out, but Riz doesn't seem to think about that just yet. "Go FiNd YoUr FrIeNd AnD gEt To SaFeTy," he rumbles ferally. There's no way to do this on his own, right, but there's still somebody out there that might still be found who could be hurt.

The angel catgirl doesn't care that she has some gas on her. She was crawling around on the ground to get the cat out moments ago. Her thigh high socks are soaked along with parts of her seifuku and even some of her hair. But she's helping! Or she did help. She's never actually saved someone in her life until now. Well, that she remembers. Her time before her encounter with Luna is alllll a big blank. But for some reason, this is feeling a little natural. Maybe the angel pieces of her are thriving on it. Whatever the reason, she gets back down and as soon as there's a gap she squeezes her upper half into the car! She's putting a lot of trust in Riz not to crush her! She'll grab hold of the poodle around the head and pulls just to get them in a better position, before switching to under the arms for a better grip! "Hhrrrrrgggg!" She growls as she pulllllls, trying to squirm out before getting crushed, or catching fire.

The white light finishes forming a full on human man. Welll, part of one. His entire right shoulder is missing and it looks like someone poked his entire right eye into its socket. Blood soaks the long billowy robes that just ooze with the title of sorcerer. As if the robes and beard weren't enough of the stereotypical magic user, he also has a staff he holds, the tip of it embedded with a white crystal. He exhales a long, "UAuuaughhglkkch," before spitting out a large glob of blood and tissue. He doesn't even glance around, but looks right towards Marigel, or the part of her that's sticking out from under the car. He wipes his bloody lips with a long sleeve.

The driver scoots backwards on the ground as Riz really gives in to his Carnivore side. Even as a Carnivore himself, this is a scary sight. Large Breed Carnivores can be terrifying and Brown Bears are second in size only to Polar Bears. Exhausted and in pain, the cheetah forces himself to his feet to try to look for his friend even as Marigel takes the initiative to try to free the poodle.

Bulked up, jaws larger, claws bigger, muscles rippling underneath his fur, Riz leverages the vehicle up with more seeming ease than with the rhino's help. His blood boils, saliva leaks from his mouth, and the docile expression on his face is swapped for one of great malice. His anger and frustration are redirected toward the large car in this way. His claws begin digging into the metal itself. Marigel has the opening she needs, though the poodle is unconscious and dead weight is very hard to move. There may be some surprise, then, as the bear reacts to seeing the flame come into view: Riz takes a step backward and begins to drag the car along, step by slow step, trying to buy as much time as possible.

In response to the phone calls and to the obvious crash, there are finally sirens on the way. They'll be too late to help the car, though. Sounds like a full accompaniment of police, fire, and medical. Gone unnoticed, Riz's anklet monitor has also reported his hormonal change.

"Hey!!" calls out the mongoose from the store. "What the- Who are you?!" He looks over his shoulder. "This ape guy just appeared out of nowhere, flashy lights and everything. Yeah. Are you still on the phone with the Emergency operator?"

"So heavyyy!" Marigel growls as she pullllls on the unconscious dog! It'd be a real sad thing if they were already dead and she was grappling underneath a car for nothing! She'll just ignore those random thoughts though and give another tug! Almost there! If she can just get a gri- "Ah!" The car actually MOVES?! At first she thinks Riz lost his grip and she's about to get her midsection crushed flat as a tortilla, but no, he's moving the car? BEARS MAN! She shifts her footing, squeezes her elbows in tighter and gives another pull. Just a few more and she thinks she'll at least have HER upper body out, then she'll have to keep working on the dog.

The old man starts to walk towards Marigel, Riz, and the dragged vehicle, staff clunking against the pavement in time. When called out by the mongoose, the sorcerer squints over then raises an eyebrow. "This that island of beasts? Hmf. Senta." He hacks out another chunk of blood and tissue. No need to answer some animal. That bear near Marigel could be a problem though, and are those sirens? There's an actual police force here? No matter. He stops ten yards from the car wreck and raises his staff. A white light emanates from the crystal in it and he begins to chant. "''Craz la na ko to min charoogun!''"

A nation island devastated by civil war; what non-District cities remain are guarded by a very zealous policing body and a government system that barely seems to hold together without the secrecy they cherish or the help of the current Beastar -- a beast with near unlimited monetary and political power with the unquestioned jurisdiction over what can make the nation better in whichever field they specialize in. There actually is no current Beastar. The last one, a veritable superhero horse named Yahya, stepped down but has been playing vigilante since. An amazingly powerful protector, anybody that falls underneath his critical gaze is in for real hurt. There's no telling when he might show up and it's unclear just who might know this outside of their own insular culture.

Riz isn't fighting to take a life, though. He's fighting to save one. This is unusual territory for him to tread, but that's what the circumstances require so that's what Marigel and the poodle get. He shows no signs of slowing or giving out. If anything, he likes it. He hates that he likes it, but he'll feed into whatever he has to to see the injured to safety. The angelcatgirl can do this. He just needs to keep buying half-seconds while he can.

"Hey! If you're not gonna help, buzz off! Cops are coming," calls out the mongoose again, annoyed. He looks back again to the others. "I think it's some creep trying to take advantage of the bad situation."

The one chanting may also find some measure of annoyance when SOMEBODY THROWS A ROCK! It's not even a nice rock. It's a chunk of concrete. The clerk and the rhino now stand side by side near the mongoose, just out front, while the duck on the phone watches through the shattered window. Along the street, among the other stores, other beasts poke their heads out to see what this new fuss is about. Somebody is attracting a lot of attention.

"Just a little more Riz!" Marigel's strained voice grunts from under the car. And it's true, if she can just pull a little more she'll be outside of the car herself, then it should just be a couple good yanks to get the poodle out as well! Hooray! She's going to save two people! Well, more her and Riz and the rhino guy, but technicalities are for elves. The sound of the car being scraped across the pavement and her own sounds of exertion don't even let her cat ears pick up the chanting sounds. Way too busy!

"''Forna mang lo no ig t-''" Whack! A rock hits the sorcerer in the shoulder that once held his arm before he teleported here. His lips sneer in pain and anger, revealing uneven yellowed teeth that surely hold breath as foul smelling as sewage. Yet, he's an old sorcerer, and it's not the first time he's been attacked while casting, so he doesn't miss a syllable in his spell despite the pain! "''-o rah k rah k foreing!''" He finishes casting moments later and extends his staff towards not Marigel, but Riz! A great popping sound like the opening of a vaccuum tube thrums as the white light that gathered around the crystal fwooshes outwards in the oldest trick in any old sorcerer's book, a big giant flaming white fireball! Does he know Marigel is also covered in gas? Perhaps he doesn't care, but it's quite possible Riz, the angel catgirl, poodle, and car are about to all catch flame from this source, rather than the looming danger of the helicopter's fire!

The brown bear tips his nose upward, jaws massive and teeth razor sharp bared in a passionate display fueled by adrenaline and frustration, while claws continue to dig into the fiberglass and plastic and metal of the car being held up. The bright white illumination from behind lights up the site of the accident far more than the early evening sunlight partially obscured by coastal cloud cover can do alone. There are multiple screams and yells from the audience taking shelter across the local stores at this display. The mongoose yells 'look out' at the top of his lungs, but his warning has little impact on the reaction provoked.

Marigel is the first to experience what happens as the car lifts higher, but not slowly; the entire vehicle pitches upward and over in a half-roll as the monstrously bulked bear tosses it just enough to flip it onto its wheels and the sudden rotation might actually help her efforts in freeing the limp poodle. And, if not, the new exit might be a help, too.

The display is accompanied by a sickening rip of metal, for when the car is flipped forward the door in Riz's claws remains in his grip. Like a makeshift shield, the sizable chunk of thick metal paneling is spun about as the bear about-faces in one smooth motion to place a barrier between himself and the incoming projectile. The fiery impact explodes, flash igniting the drifting fuel fumes nearby that the car might just be clear of, and the flaming attack obscures the impact against the shielded bear and the subsequent force that throws him backward into the side of the right-side-up car. Not only does the car feel the impact from the rolled landing, but it almost immediately gets jostled by the bulk of the bear getting knocked into it.

When the initial flash subsides, Riz remains standing on his feet. His shirt is on fire, but a quick yank pulls the already ripped fabric from his torso. This isn't the bear that saved Marigel. This is a monster. Pinprick pupils lock onto the assailant. The magic-flinging sorcerer may have weathered a thrown chunk of concrete from a nobody animal-person nearby, but the spinning shape of ragged metal hurled by the singed bear is a much greater threat.

Marigel is super intent on getting this poodle free! Is that adrenaline rushing through her? She's not sure she's ever had this kind of excitement rippling through her muscles and brain! Even when she was in various states of imprisonment, experimentation, or what have you, it wasn't like this. Maybe saving people and getting this emotional state of urgency and panic are what makes people want to do it? Either way, she's about to give another yank when CRWUANK! The entire car goes 180 and smashes down!

She cries out in shock rather than pain! "Anti-grav magic?!" Being part cat with some angel as well, her balance is top notch, so despite the spinning and turning she lands onto her feet! Well, some of her is still in the car, but there's no snapped ankles or limbs on impact. With a final pull she gets the poodle OUT of the car! "VICTORY!" She cries, straightening up and then face going more pale than it already is as a the heat of an impacting against car door washes over her. "Althena's pits!" she curses! What is happening? Once Riz tosses the car door she can see the old sorcerer. Ugh. She got followed after all. But Riz is...obviously taking care of him, so...she grabs the poodle and drags it away from the wreckage and flame. She'd rather not catch fire herself either since she's dowsed and all. Unfortunately the flames are just about to hit the gas tank and EXPLODE it and the area into pieces!

The sorcerer raises his staff as the fireball is released. Yes excellent. Cook the bear to a crisp and then he can get at the magic battery. He actually takes a pre-emptive step forward, assuming all has gone well before the flame even impacts. Then Riz flips the car, shields himself, and chucks the door right at him. "Oh f-" Whatever else he was going to say is cut off as the door clobbers into him, lifting him off his feet, and sending him sailing through the air with it and then skidding across the pavement. A pair of purple sandals are left where the sorcerer once stood, the force of the hit having separated him from his footwear. Blood, cuts, and likely multiple fractured bones from the way his body lies are the old caster's current state. He might actually be dead from the blunt force trauma. His staff also went flying off, skidding to a halt in the middle of the road.

The driver cheetah finds his buddy cheetah just as flame fwooshes. The other cat is dazed with minor injuries, lucky that it wasn't worse, having been thrown from the vehicle when it skidded out of control. Marigel drags the injured poodle off to safety as the cheetah tries to do the same for his friend while Riz stalks forward step by heavy step with a face that screams in thirst for the violence at hand. He spent so long in therapy in Juvie to help avoid this and now he's right back where he started. He's aware of this and that only makes him angrier.

With a high-pitched sound of air superheating from the catalyzed ignition, the car finally goes up in spectacular fiery fashion. The illumination and smoke serves as a background to the approaching grizzly while casting his front in shadow except his cruel eyes. For all anybody present knows, this stranger might be the cause of the city's damage; his appearance and actions surely haven't helped. If the magic user is injured or dazed and unable to react, things could go even worse now that such a beast has been provoked.

A van skids around a corner nearby with a quick whoop-whooop of a siren, side doors opening as police-dressed individuals pour out. "Large Breed Squad! Stop where you are and put your hands in the air! We WILL shoot!" They most definitely have firearms. Only, they aren't there for the sorcerer. They're all trained on the bear. "Your monitor has alerted us to your dangerous status. In violation of your probation and in light of the damage you've done here, you are under arrest."

Riz...stops in place and raises his hands high. What else can he do even if the police don't understand what really happened? They probably won't listen to his explanation. Carnivore discrimination is still a matter of bias with the police.

The sorcerer doesn't move. He is, in fact, dead. He already had a lot of blood loss from the mangled teleportation. Well, this kind of stuff happens. Self defense, right?

Marigel drops the poodle once they're far enough from gasoline and fire! Finally! Yes. She did something heroic. It was super neat! She smiles and pats the unconscious dog on the head. "Good puppy." Her ears perk up as the sirens sound, then fold back. Too loud for her hearing. She looks between them and Riz, then laughs and walks over...well, not near the giant bear, but, ya know, a little closer so she's obviously taking his side and not...totally afraid of the apex predator. She'll wave a hand to get the attention of the cops, or authorities, or possible mercs in stolen police cars. "It's okay, he was helping me and saving everyone." She then notices the dead sorcerer with the car door embedded in him. "Oh hey, it's old man Wigglewart. Is he dead? That's great! But...wow did he dimensional travel from TRI to get to this dimension?" She's kind of talking to Riz and the dead body, assuming that her explanation given is more than enough to settle things down.

"Hey, the Hybrid girl is right!" calls out the mongoose from nearby. Some of the others, including the rhino, come out from hiding to stand near Marigel. "Take our statements before you make a mistake."

There's a lot of talking among one another and even the rhino takes a moment to ask if the angel cat human is okay. The cheetahs call out from where the poodle is unconscious. "Stop wasting time. This guy needs a doctor!" One officer approaches the fallen stranger and looks over the chaotic display. Things really went to shit somehow!

Riz can only stand there as an officer comes over and handcuffs him anyway, just in case. The bear looks...sad. He only did what he had to do, but if he gets sent away he might not ever get out of prison. The rage has drained from his face. His eyes no longer look so 'mean'. He's just way bulked up and half naked with scorch marks that probably need treatment soon, but is otherwise the same guy that gave Marigel honey chews after the initial 'meteor impact' at Gizou Medical. It wasn't even that long ago. A lot suddenly happened all at once.

"Everybody calm down. We'll get statements, one at a time, and get fire and medical response units in to help. What the hell even-"

A border collie cop steps to the side with a notebook. "One at a time, please. Who is first? And, please, let's stick to the basics. No imagination needed. This is already a mess as it is." A few beasts look to Marigel, but the mongoose and rhino will step forward if she doesn't.

Marigel nods at the rhino, brushing her clothes off. They're completely dirty and soaked in gasoline, but she gives it a light effort. "Yeah, just more clothing damage." She wonders if the sea she saw when she was coming down is fresh water or salt water. Maybe she'll take a stroll soon and find out. After all, if that sorcerer is dead she doesn't have to be in a rush. Plus, now they're asking her what happened. Her angel pieces won't let her outright straight up lie, but... "That guy there?" She points at Wigglewart. "He's a crazy murderous sorcerer! He's the reason that building got damaged earlier." It's true! It's his fault he cast that spell and sent her hurtling through the skies! "I don't know but he probably brought the helicopter down too!" Guesswork, but she didn't see him teleport in so she's just assuming he was already here looking for her and...for some reason caused a scene to draw her out? "So then Riz, the giant bear there, and the rhino...” She’ll then give a nice truncated version events, though she emphasis how crazy amazing Riz was one he lifted the car and such. “Not sure I would have got the poodle to safety if he hadn’t.”

"We had to lift a flipped car to help the occupants get free, yeah," adds the rhino. "The copter came down and crashed, the car lost control, and we rushed out to help. I could only help get- I- I could only help get one person out, but there was fire and leaking fuel. I had to go clean up. The girl here is soaked in it, but she stayed to help. I- I couldn't. I'm not as strong as I look. I feel like a failure." The coyote lady gives him a pat on the back. She helped him clean up, after all.

"You did more than we could," she adds.

"Then that old ape guy just popped in out of thin air and threw, like, a ball of fire at the car. We tried to draw his attention, but it didn't work. There was this big explosion of fire, the girl got the last person free, and the bear threw something back before another big fwoosh of fire! That's when you ''finally'' showed up."

"Hey, buddy, we're taxed enough as it is, right now," adds one of the other cops keeping an eye on Riz. "Maybe you didn't notice the meteor that hit one of our buildings?"

"Is he serious?"

"The girl just said it was the old guy chucking fire bombs."

"If you don't believe us, then ask everybody else here on the block that saw it happen!"

"Was it really a meteor or was the mayor lying?"

The cops look impatient, but they are stressed. Notably, not one of them is asking the bear for his side of the story.

Marigel nods in agreement with the others statements. She’d rather Riz didn’t get arrested, considering all the help he provided for her. And that candy was delicious of course. She eyes the old sorcerer. Undoubtedly he brought candy with him to give to her. “How bloody could it be.” She murmurs under her breath to herself. Oh, yeah, cops. She waves her hands to draw a little attention to herself. “You can trust what I say, I’m part angel so I can’t straight up lie you know.” She ruffles her wings to emphasize her words and throws a smile out for good measure.

Everybody goes silent for a moment as attention is drawn to Marigel.

Silence persists as eyes move from Marigel to the cops. Eventually the border collie sighs and throws his hands up. "All right, all right. It's standard to detain raging Carnivores, especially Large Breeds. Can't be too careful." The officer turns to another. "Doesn't seem to be a reason to hold him, but we should still write up an incident report. His monitor did go off, so that's paperwork either way."

Approaching sirens, similar to the ones from before, announce the arrival of the fire and medical teams. The fire crew gets to work spraying a material on the wreckage that looks like snow or some type of foam. They work alongside the medical crew to check for any survivors, help the injured, and... The medics that stand around the fallen old guy look puzzled. They have to work with the cops to maintain the scene with markers so that they can remove the guy. Whatever happens to him from this point forward, it can't be decided out on the streets.

The cheetah driver is given water and a sedative while his friend and the poodle -- apparently a total stranger that suffered some kind of episode when the traumatic 'meteor' impact hit -- are loaded up to be taken to a nearby care center. It'll be hours before any cleanup crews arrive; for as terrible as this incident is, a few places closer to Gizou actually got it worse.

Riz is finally uncuffed after some quick questions and a check-up on his monitor anklet. His size and muscular bulk has lessened a bit and one of the medics comes over to check on his burns. The bear sits there, silent, while most of the others start to get back to their own lives. Many are on their phones talking with loved ones. Riz isn't.

Marigel just idles around, watching people go about their cleanup and what not. As long as they’re not going to arrest the person that saved her and others, that seems good. It’s probably time to go find that ocean. Probably...that way? Sure! Why not? She walks over to Riz though, he seems a tad down, or maybe bored, or... “There’ll be other grocery bags to fill.” She jokes about his likely ruined bags he was holding before. She reaches over and patpats his shoulder to comfort him. “I’m going to the water to clean myself off. Thanks for helping me with...” She zooms her hand through the air and makes a little quiet “...kaboom...” sound, indicating her arrival here. “And good work saving those people, what a thrill!” She flashes a fanged smile.

Riz looks up even as the medic applies balm to some scorched spots. He flinches because it's cold. "Oh, hey. Mm, I'll be okay. They're going to contact the school so they know if I'm late. They said they can't really keep me, but they don't want to let me go just yet, either. Paperwork." The bear turns this around.

"You sure you'll be fine? You said you were lost and needed help, but if you want to visit the beach there are a few good ones. I'd suggest a train route to get there, but some of the local public transit is probably affected, like they said. Hmm... Thanks for helping earlier, though. That was really brave. A lot was a bit of a blur, it all happened so fast." The bear's hands loosely clasp together and his thumbs slowly wind in circles around each other.

Marigel nods in agreement. “I feel a lot safer now that old ugly is dead, and there don’t seem to be many magic users around here so that’s only good news for me!” Her tail twitches. “Plus I just helped save people! I feel really good about that. I didn’t know it was so fun to do. Maybe I’ll look into it more.” Could be fun sticking her ears in peoples business to save them from terrible people. Then again, there might not always be a giant bear to help her out. “Thanks for getting me on my feet, I’ll look for you later if I get lost again.” She winks and pats his shoulder one more time. A train? So there’ll be train tracks. Okay. She steps back, hops once, twice, then jumps forward. Her wings flap wildly, taking her up into the sky. She’s not the smoothest flier, but it’s a much faster transportation method than walking through streets.

The bear watches Marigel depart while the medic continues to patch him up. He did a good thing. They all did. All together. It was different trying to help, but the moment the strange person attacked it all shifted. It was like before. He may have even killed the guy. He didn't think. It all just happened. Will that kind of thing happen again? Why did it feel so good?

Once the strange girl disappears from sight, the medic begins asking questions and Riz's attention shifts focus away.

|}}

File:Riz-icon.gif

2023-11-19T22:39:40Z

Louis:

Riz

2023-11-19T22:34:17Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Profile| Title=Riz |Image=Riz Pic.jpg |Name=Riz the Brown Bear |Series=Beastars (Manga) |Occupation=Student/Cook |Alignment=Traumatic Good |Gender=Male |Species=Brown Bear |..."

{{Profile|
Title=Riz
|Image=Riz Pic.jpg
|Name=Riz the Brown Bear
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=Student/Cook
|Alignment=Traumatic Good
|Gender=Male
|Species=Brown Bear
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
Well over 6'7", Riz the Brown Bear is very visually imposing through his size, although his demeanor and posture usually displays a gentle and laid back nature. He's surprisingly strong, even for his physical appearance, and his clothing usually requires shopping at specialty stores for large animals. His fur is a soft brownish tan that seems to cover him entirely. His eyes are small, round, and pure black. His ears are rounded and his mouth, while large, seems to have a resting smile.
----
=== Abilities, Talents, and Skills ===
----
'''Super Strength'''

As a Large Breed Carnivore Brown Bear, second only in natural size to a Polar Bear, horrifying strength far above and beyond his peers comes naturally. As a Life Animal, consumption of Life or Nature Animals in any part can increase this even more for a time at the risk of addiction. This is even further enhanced when a Large Breed of Beast Island doesn't take their government mandated growth inhibitor medication.

'''Heavy Endurance'''

Carnivores are far more resistant to damage and injury than their Herbivore counterparts and any injuries sustained often do little when able to shrug off pain's otherwise crippling effects. Much like strength, this ability to become resistant to potentially lethal attacks can be enhanced even further through consumption of other Life or Nature Animals in any part and, for Large Breeds, being unmedicated.

'''Predatory Senses and Ability'''

Enhanced hearing, smell, dark vision, and reaction time are the base line for more Carnivores, although few city-born Carnivores allow themselves to be in tune with them. Furthermore, despite being a Large Breed, some Carnivores like Riz can be deadly silent when they want to be.

'''Actor with a Cunning Mind'''

Perhaps the most dangerous tool available to any animal, this allows for social manipulation on levels beyond average public understanding. Social Masks are easy to wear to present a more likable person than what hides behind it: trauma-fueled self-hatred and guilt over sins of the past. This level of sharpness has even allowed a measure of evasion of police investigation over murder. When needed, this is used to protect his vulnerabilities from those would happily judge him while protecting them from the therapy-soothed monster quietly watching from its cage within.

Additionally, a carefully used tone, speed, and cadence results in a very calming and ear-pleasing voice that serves the bear well in deflecting harsh judgments while helping to establish trust.

'''Master Chef'''

An innate understanding of ingredients, spices, and techniques in the preparation and presentation of food dishes makes for a natural master chef.
----
=== Flaws, Complications, and Hooks ===
----
'''Medical Dependence'''

Required by law to maintain a certain level of muscle-reducing medication at all times due to being a Large Breed Carnivore. The medication can cause immense pain or discomfort in the body or headaches, but is necessary to keep natural growth and strength limited for the safety of others. Without this medication, bodily recovery restores this missing bulk and strength over the course of just a few days.

Honey helps to relieve the pains of this medication. While the aches lessen with age as natural growth slows into full adulthood, the need for honey has become as much of a psychological addiction as a physiological one. As far as others can see, however, he's just a honey-loving teddy bear.

'''Predation Offender'''

Permanent Record marked and many restrictions now in place because of it. As a Carnivore that lost self-control and Devoured an Herbivore before reaching adult age, time was spent in Juvenile Detention with very modest therapy. With a society that is better at locking Carnivores away rather than rehabilitating them (or redefining society as a whole to better understand coexistence with those treated poorly due to the Carni-Herbi War's outcome), this will only make life far more difficult going forward.

'''Emotional Trauma'''

The memories of what happened and what he did will always haunt him and provide ammunition by his peers that know the truth. While he may at times be able to forgive himself, that doesn't mean that others will, and the stigma will likely follow him as a shadow no matter where he goes.

----
|Background=
----
Being one of the stronger species of animal in their society, Riz had to start taking muscle-reducing medications once he reached a certain size as required by law. Lending to terrible headaches, pure honey tends to soothe that ache. This is a problem that didn't appear until his time living in Cherryton Academy in Denko which placed him in the position of despising both himself and the pain he must endure to ensure the safety of those around him and the system itself: he wants to be appreciated for what he is, not what he must be seen as.

Tem the Alpaca was the first real friend Riz had that was truly interested in learning about his problems and, through that support, was able to open up and become a loving and caring classmate truly helpful to his peers. However, after years of this almost selfish friendship lending to a deeper attraction, Riz learned that Tem had feelings for a girl named Els instead. Jealously hurt, Riz decided he wanted Tem to see the 'real' him, to push beyond all judgment and prejudice, and he stopped taking his medication altogether. Becoming super strong and instinctually aggressive, this ended poorly when Tem decided to flee the encounter. Instinct took over and Riz killed and partially-devoured his best friend.

Covering his tracks surprisingly well enough to throw off police investigation yet also deeply traumatized by his guilt, Riz constructed a fabrication of memory in order to cope wherein Tem consented to the assault with a desire to be eaten to be a part of his bestest friend. When eventually found out by fellow classmate Legosi the Wolf, Riz hid behind his lies but wasn't afraid of using lethal force to protect his dark secret. However, Pina the Dall Sheep used his wit and cunning to keep the peace in the school and so Legosi planned a duel with Riz where they could settle the matter personally. Pina wound up getting overpowered by Riz, injured for the sake of blood in order to lie to Legosi about Pina's death, to trick the wolf into letting his guard down.

Outmatched by the sheer strength and endurance of the bear, Legosi only recovered by eating the leg of his best friend, Louis the Red Deer, and clashed with Riz in what was almost a stalemate in favor of the wolf, but Pina's escape and subsequent call to the police had them break up the fight and arrest Riz. He served time in Juvenile Detention undergoing psychological evaluation, medication, and counseling in order to rehabilitate him. His only company during this long period of time was the twice-a-month visits by none other than Pina; this arguably romantic relationship was the true source of Riz's betterment.

Due to the Animals United program put into place by Louis the Red Deer and the Horns Conglomerate, Riz has been able to return to school -- much to the dismay of many of his classmates -- while working a part-time job at a diner in order to get his life back on track.
----
=== Mood Music ===
----

Better Days:
[https://youtu.be/bcZ7zBhGGQc?si=nBjEpiKzGLXRj7Mc Adios Nonino by Piazzolla as played by Øystein and Rena]

Worse Days:
[https://youtu.be/ftOnimHN1Mc?si=-C4locxa4w9mTLEj Superbeast by Rob Zombie]

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Riz Pic.jpg

2022-09-16T08:01:23Z

Louis:

2022-03-02 - It's Tutor Tamamoru!

2022-08-23T08:03:16Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=It's Tutor Tamamoru! |Summary=First day of Tamamoru's new job with Horns Conglomerate, he and Nina Flip meet up to begin her Sea Speak lessons. |Who=Loui..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=It's Tutor Tamamoru!
|Summary=First day of Tamamoru's new job with Horns Conglomerate, he and Nina Flip meet up to begin her Sea Speak lessons.
|Who=[[Louis]], [[Nina_Flip]]
|Date=March 2nd, 2022
|Where=Along the Denko Waterfront
|Log=

Tamamoru the Malayan Tiger sits on a bench on the beach with his phone held in his hands. The cool Spring weather keeps the animals from doing much, at least along the small gathering area where Tama likes to hang out, so a few same-species couples may be seen wandering along the walkways or the beach itself but there's little more water activity than that. Wearing a hoodie with shorts and sandals, the tiger kicks his toes at the sand as he watches the screen with a bit of anxiety.

With the light of day fully illuminating him, it's easy to see that he's a big boy. Some of that is to be expected for his species, but he's got a bit of padding that the hoodie hides well yet the shorts reveal through his legs. Big-boned, some call it, yet he's not 'fat'. Not exactly. He taps at the screen with both thumbs, likely texting somebody, while keeping an eye on the time. He showed up way too early for a meeting with the dolphin that knows magic. Not long ago he was talking to Horns Conglomerate's Animal Resources in getting registered and an employee ID that he can use with a work app that he promptly downloaded for his phone.

"Nothing to be stressed over. It's just a start. It's just the first day. The first day...of a job with only the most wealthy company around that is only just recently hiring Carnivores and you're a Carnivore and why would there be any pressure? This is totally normal somehow and you barely ever even talk to girls and your dad thinks it's strange but it's just weird, but now I'm gonna teach like I always wanted to do, but..." He's muttering to himself in anxiousness.

Nina is still feeling a little nervous about the idea of starting at a new school, in a new place, where she'll be pretending that she's just a dolphin girl and nothing more. But today was a day to be excited, because she was going to learn something new that mostly only the aquatics in this land know. She had already texted Tamamoru that she was on her way to meet him, and before long she's swimming her way down though the water near the shore, every so often poking her head up to look for Tama.

Eventually she finds him and makes her way back onto the sandy beach, tail-walking her way over to join him, offering a wave as she gets somewhat close. "Hey, nice to see you again. Thanks for agreeing to teach me and all, this is a lot to take in at once, but I'm pretty excited overall." She pauses for a moment, thinking about what to say, eventually she asks a question if Tama doesn't beat her to it in offering what they would do. "So uh, where should we start?"

The tiger startles at the sound of her voice and drops his phone (he seems to be prone to that), but thankfully it just slides down a shin and stops atop his feet before falling into the small pit his feet had dug in the sand. He quickly fumbles his way into picking it back up before jumping to his feet and rushing over a bit closer. His hands are balled into determined fists. "Nina the Dolphin! You actually came! I didn't know if you would show up from the water or the street. I should have asked! I was worried that I forgot something, especially when I tried sending you a text message and you didn't respond and- OH!"

Tama shakes a little as something finally clicks in his head. There's a pause, then he laughs loudly in embarrassment. "That'srightIguessyoucan'ttextunderwater. Ah ha ha ha ha." If Louis were here, he'd have an epic facepalm moment.

"Uh, but I guess we can just start with some basics, or some history, or if there's anything you feel you should know about 'Tama-sensei'. Oh, oh! Oh, wait, I have to log in on the app first." The tiger takes a moment to brush some stray sand off of the screen as he turns it on, then goes about opening the HC application so he can remotely punch his digital timecard. "I just- Need- To log in with my details first- And- They told me no more than- Uh- Twelve hours per week. Or- Was it twenty? Something like that. Part-time job and all- Invalid password? No, that had to be correct. The keyboard on this is so tiny. My dad bought me a phone, but it's for a smaller species and my fingers can be too big. One sec." Such a look of extreme concentration follows. You can do it, Tama!

Nina pulls her phone out of a little pouch she was wearing, she packed light since she'd be swimming with the bag, it was in a extra water resistant pouch despite being a water resistant phone to start with, can never be too careful especially with salt water and electronics. She sees she has multiple texts from him and just smiles. "Right, touch screens don't really like being underwater." She says with a nod as she moves to sit on the bench, taking the other end to give Tama some space, though when he struggles with logging in she does reach over to give him an encouraging pat.

"It's okay, relax, this is going to be fun, right? It's not like you're teaching me calculus or something." She was trying to be upbeat and friendly, she had barely met Tama, and as much as he seems to be a bit of a derpy guy, she still liked him so far and hoped they can be friends, even if he is significantly older than her.

"Oh, uh! Sorry if I make you feel like I'm being too anxious. Um, but you should probably know that 'Tama-sensei' is just a lazy beach bum, ah ha ha. Eh, I graduated high school and everything, but I never did well enough for university and I still live at home with my parents, so this is a really major thing for me. If it were up to me, I'd just hang out on the beach all day and maybe go swimming when it's warmer out." The tiger offers a cheesy grin briefly over at Nina, but he fat-fingers the login again and - is - super - careful - in - pressing - backspace - to - fix - it. "And there!"

There's no fanfare or anything. He logged in on his new employee account on a phone app, but for Tamamoru he's happy to savor every victory. He finds the digital punchcard and goes through confirmation to log hours as 'Sea Speak Representative -- Part Time'. It records the time.

Tama shakes a little. "I'm... I'm a Carnivore, Nina. I'm a Carnivore and I just clocked in with- with- with THE Herbivore company." Not the first, of course, but it's a very major detail that even somebody like the air-headed beach bum lifeguard Tamamoru understands. "And...! And that means I'm now officially your tutor. Go us!"

The tiger is all too happy to show off the timestamp on the phone screen. "Aaou oou! Ha ha ha ha! This is so weird but cool and I have no idea how to start."

So, he's a beach bum that lives with his parents. Nina doesn't judge him too harshly for that though, since she could easily see herself falling into the same rut if she isn't careful, and at least this means they both have something in common, liking to hang out at the beach and swim. She also wants friends, but never really had many due to how over-protective and secretive about his work her dad always was.

She nods and smiles at the concept of him, as a tiger, working for Horns Conglomerate. "Yup, Louis and his company are indeed awesome and it's great that they're being more inclusive for carnivores. Anyway, I uh, you could teach me some common phrases in sea speak, and stuff like, how to introduce myself, ask for directions, say hello and goodbye, easy stuff. But this is just the first day, we can start slow do more later, or even go for a swim to help get us both going, well, I already have been swimming, but you know what I mean, sometimes it helps me think."

"W-well, that brings up a good point. As Land Animals, we learn to speak Sea language meticulously and with great exaggeration that probably sounds really awkward to Seas." In other words, he isn't certain. "But, uh, it's because our bodies aren't made for talking underwater, so, if we want to be understood in a Sea's natural habitat, we have to learn to enunciate each emphasis very carefully. I've never talked with a Sea underwater myself, but I know a wolf that says he talked to a shark. He learned from a Spotted Seal that lives in his apartment building. I thought he was making it up until I saw them together at a noodle shop, but I was too scared to go say hi."

"Um, so... Okay. We can start with the basics." Tama stops talking for a moment and takes a few breaths. This is a completely new experience for him, but he's trying his best. Louis was probably aware of some of Tamamoru's history, especially if he knew Tama's father's name, which means that the deer likely has access to a lot of info and, ultimately, wanted to put the lazy yet well-meaning tiger in a position to improve himself. It's a detail that both Tama and Nina may not grasp, but this is a deer trying to build a better future of acceptance and coexistence one animal at a time.

"Oh, wait! In school we learn to do some mouth exercises first. A lot of muscles control the jaws and you have to make sure to warm them up! Let's try something like..." Tama makes a face. A really silly funny scrunch-face and he's likely being way serious about it, but he doesn't explain how. He simply does it. He makes this face and shows Nina. All he needs is a manga speech bubble saying something like Argle-bargle-blarrgle and it would match perfectly.

Nina thinks about what Tama says about land animals speaking Seas for a moment, and she wonders what implications that has for her, since she's a dolphin, but she's also not from around here either. "So, I guess maybe I'm going to have an easier time than average picking it up because I'm not a land animal," Or she'll end up speaking it with a land animal accent because she's not learning it from another animal of the sea. She refrains from saying that to Tama though, she can see he's nervous enough about this and she really appreciates him working to help her, she doesn't want to make him feel inadequate because he's not from the ocean.

"Basics are good, sure." She agrees, and watches curiously as he makes a strange face, if it'll help though she's all for it, and she tries her best to match the face he was making, certainly helps that she basically has a slight pointed muzzle in place of the full rostrum a more traditional dolphin would have. "Hhooww's t-thiss?" She asks with slurred speech as she tries to hold the face.

The corners of the tiger's mouth curl a bit, almost twitching, as he tries his best to keep from laughing. It's never this silly back in classes. "Great! Oh. Okay, um, other way. Gotta warm them all up." Just like that, the striped feline stresses the muscles of his face in the other direction to hold for ten to twelve seconds. Somehow, someway, he manages to choke back any giggles although his grinning doesn't make it any ''easier''. Tama swaps it up again, this time making his mouth look all droopy for as much as can be done.

A couple passersby probably score amused glances at this going on, but out of all the animals that like hanging out at -that- spot on the beach, Tamamoru would be the one to play silly games with any Sea Animals come ashore. At length, Tama manages to show off a series of held exercises that leave the lazy cat with a big sigh. "Wow, I feel hungry from that already and we're only getting started."

Nina is happy to hear that Tama thinks she's doing great, and as he shifts his mouth muscles she does her best to follow the same face shape and hold it, as if doing a stretch with her mouth. However, as she keeps watching Tama, trying to ignore the amused looks they're getting from other animals that pass by, but soon she thinks about how ridiculous she must look holding her face like this, and unlike Tama, fails at holding back and giggles for a few moments. "Sorry, couldn't resist after looking at your face and imagining what mine looks like." She apologizes and takes the facial pose again, holding it for another ten or so seconds. She nods in agreement about being hungry. "Me too, since I swam here, figured it'd be faster than walking though. Maybe we can go get something to eat after we're done?"

"Sure, that sounds great. They have a great bean fajita place not too far away, if you want. Or maybe, uh, wait. Seas mostly prefer fish, right?" The nature of Nina's separation from the local marine life doesn't seem to fully stick in Tamamoru's head. "Dad says beans are cheaper than fish for protein, so it's usually beans or tofu for us." Tama's dad is a real scrooge when it comes to money. They tend to live in worse conditions than they can afford because of it. The tiger has had a conflicted upbringing. "But I might have enough for something from one of the local street carts. Maybe some octopus?"

"But, uh, okay, let's at least cover the basics of ah, ooh, ee, eh, uh, oo, and ew sounds. Uh..." Tama takes a moment to look up something on his phone. This kind of thing would be easier with books to look over, but it is just the first day. "Each sound is different. Ah is formed from an open mouth, tongue flat. Ooh comes from slightly closing the mouth from the first position. Ee comes from tightening the mouth and showing tee- Sorry! I didn't mean to show my fangs, Nina," he interrupts himself with with a very worried expression. It's a very socially taboo thing, even if it wasn't meant as harmful. "Uh, I'll try to look to the side. Um, after ee is eh, which is like ee, but wider jaws." This is all very preschool. Most animals know basic vocalizations, right?

Nina nods as Tama talks about food, and gives an understanding nod as he mentions how his dad goes with what is cheap but still provides the nutrition, rather than what might taste better but costs more. "My dad is always stuck at work, so he pretty much buys me anything I ask for, or sometimes just things he thinks I'd like." It's like he's trying to compensate for not being there to you know, be her dad. "But I got sucked through some wormhole or something to this place, and he's back in Anima City, maybe in some other dimension or something, I think that's how this works... That's assuming he hasn't started World War Three when I disappeared and caused the city to implode in on itself..." She explains, and eventually stops as she realizes she's here to learn and she's rambling on about herself.

She listens to Tama talk about basic sounds. "I think I know how to make mouth sounds, but if you think it'll help with stuff later..." She goes through the sounds Tama makes, mimicking them as well as the exact mouth shapes he is making. She chuckles a bit as he gets self conscious about showing his teeth. "We're learning stuff, and it's not like you're going to go all wild and tear me limb from limb?" Her teeth show a bit when she does the 'tee' and 'ee' sounds, her jaws are fairly human-like, but her teeth are a little more pointed and conical.

The tiger reaches up to rub at the back of his neck as his gaze drifts away to the ocean. "That sounds horrible. Do you wanna talk about your pop? I mean, it's only the first day and I know Mister Louis said he wanted fast results, but that sounds really awful." The attempt at a touching moment has a bit of distraction as somebody calls out 'hey, Tama' from the path 20 feet away. A chipmunk, only maybe five or six inches tall, waves a greeting. The tiger looks over, lifts a hand, and responds. "Hi, Katie."

"Going to the bonfire?"

"Not tonight. Working."

"New job? Yay! Tell me about it next weekend, then." Off she goes.

Tamamoru looks apologetic. "Sorry. That's one of the local beach fans. Uh... Her name is Katie." Obviously. "Anyway, uh, your...dad? Or we can skip the practice, too. I've went and gotten a bit mixed up. Ha ha. Embarrassing for a tutor, huh? How about we skip the technical stuff completely and just chat about the basics as we walk to find a snack or a cold drink?"

Nina nods as Tama asks if she wants to talk about her father, and was about to say more when the chipmunk girl shows up, her eyes grow wider and practically glow at the sight, finding the girl downright adorable, but knew better than to bluntly say that, and the girl was talking to Tama anyway, as they seemed to know each other, which Tama confirms. Still she offers a wave of one of her flipper-like hands. "HI, I'm Nina." She introduces quickly, and then she's gone. Nina turns back to Tama and nods as she stands up so they can go get a snack or something, ready to follow Tama's lead.

"I mean, he does love me, he's certainly a lot nicer to me than he is to the poor guys who work for him, it's almost like he's a different person, but his work does keep him really busy, so after school and sometimes on weekends it's just me, and one of the guys who works for him acting as my bodyguard/chaperone. I was pretty much allowed to go anywhere in the city I wanted to, just not the more run down 'unsafe' parts like Rabbit Town. He also forbade me from listening to human music, and almost started a 'war' when I snuck over to the mainland where the humans live one night to attend a party one of my friends on Facelook invited me to... It's uh... sorta like Beastbook here. I wasn't allowed to leave the house for like a month after that."

"Oh, jeez, that's nothing like my pop. I can't even imagine what that's like. I've seen my dad pretty angry, but I don't think I'd say he'd try to start fights. He used to be a really respectable banker back in his day, but he was made to retire when they started making the push to more digital bookkeeping. He met my mom pretty late in life, I guess you could say. He's probably almost old enough to be my grandpop at this rate, ha ha ha." With a family that controls money so tightly, Tama has never really had many cool and trendy things, so he had to make his own fun and visiting the beach is free. It all stuck.

The tiger slips his phone into a shorts pocket before stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. "I'm sorry you got separated from your family. That really sucks." His tail droops a bit as he stands and walks a few steps. "Are you looking to have a family adopt you or something? I...don't even know if it's legal to adopt Sea Animal children, now that I think about it. Oh-! Not saying you're a child. Just...you know, I meant as far as legalities go and all. Denko is really progressive compared to other cities...or the Districts."

"Yeah, like I said, he's really nice around me, treats me like his little princess, well, as long as I don't break his rules anyway, but he really doesn't talk about what he does for work around me, and tries to change the subject if I ask directly. So whatever it is, it's very hush hush, and something where he has some power." Nina says with a shrug. "One time said he'd tell me more about it when I was older, but I guess maybe now I'll never know, and yeah, it really does suck, I didn't like how much he was against all human stuff, and how he always had one of his guys following me around, but it still beats trying mooching off my friends in Senta and not having a real home anymore... Maybe getting adopted would be a good idea, as long as it's not actually illegal. I just hope I get along with whoever ends up being my new family."

"Wow. I just... I mean, really it all sounds nothing like what I know of Sea Animal life." There's a notion of awkwardness that follows along with a sigh. He's maybe a little disappointed that he's not getting to talk with a native of the local ocean, but he'd never ever admit that in words.

"But, Nina, why bother over learning Sea Speak if you seem so keen to live with Land Animal families? I mean, uh, is it just a curiosity? They teach real classes. Can't you just claim to be a foreign exchange student or something? Maybe use your trick to blend in with the primates?" Tama pulls a hand from his pocket as he slowly walks and uses his clawtips to scratch at the top of his head. "Not to say I'm not happy to be your tutor. Or, uh, at least trying to be your tutor. Ha ha. I'm guess I'm just trying to understand what it is you've got planned. Of all the places and you decide to live here."

"Guess there are some differences between here and where I come from." Nina says with a nod, and smiles at the question of why she's bothering to learn Sea Speak. "Well, I think the fact that I'm a bit further of an exchange student than most factors into this. I mean, don't get me wrong, I personally like the idea of learning a special language for sea animals here, and maybe getting to talk to other Seas at some point. But this idea got started because Louis is trying to get me into a school as a sea animal exchange student of sorts, I'll be the first, but maybe it'll open the door to others? If I look like a sea animal, but don't speak the language, animals are going to start asking a lot of questions. I don't mind talking to you about my past and where I came from, I feel like we're kind of friends at this point, but crowds of others I don't know... I'd rather not start telling the whole world about it, if that makes sense."

The tiger listens carefully. He really does. He's clearly not the brightest bulb, but he tries. The concern on his face is genuine as is the worry in his eyes. "I, uh... That sounds a lot like lying to me. I don't understand it, but I guess it's true that young Seas don't grow up on land. Most of the only Seas we see roaming the city are those trying to connect the two cultures. Adults." Tama pulls his arms over his front to almost cross them, but winds up idly tracing his fingertips over the stripes on one arm.

"I'm sure Mister Louis knows what he's doing. He's really really rich and owns a very big powerful company. I bet he could buy fish anytime he wanted," he remarks despite the extremely obvious fact that Louis is clearly an Herbivore. "I don't know why things have to be so complicated. I think I'd be happy to just sit on the beach and enjoy the wind and water every day for the rest of my life." Tamamoru bites his lip.

"But if you want to pass yourself off as a Sea Animal, that shouldn't be that hard. You can act just about any way you want and most any Land Animal would believe it's just the quirkiness of Seas. I mean, I don't see why you couldn't just say 'I've taken a vow to adopt Land Animal customs and Land Speak as my language as I embrace living among you all' or something like that and animals wouldn't think twice about it. Well, except to praise your conviction and dedication. Older adults like those two words a lot."

Nina frowns a bit and nods, it sounded a lot like lying because it really was, she wished there was another way this could happen, but she was really getting the feeling that she needed to be careful about revealing that she could change forms, since it was not the norm here, and though she's a bit sheltered from the grisly realty of it, she'd seen enough on social media to have an idea of how some of the humans on her world feared beastmen like herself. "Whether animal or otherwise, fear of the unknown, different, alien, it seems to be a thing that some just can't shake off. You were pretty shocked when you first saw me change, how do you think it would go if everyone in the city found out about what I can do? Do you think they'd let me go to school and live a 'normal life'? I really fear the answer is no. So yeah, I wish it could be different, but I agree, Louis knows what he's doing, and if in the process I can help things between Seas and Land Animals here, then that's an added bonus I'm happy to have."

"Hey, uh, wow. This really sounds a lot more serious than I'm used to being involved in." The tiger rubs at the back of his neck as he walks along. "Don't want it to sound like I know what I'm talking about, I guess. Ha ha ha. Well, look. I said I'd help teach you Sea Speak, so that's what I'm gonna do. Since we're heading this way to find a snack, why don't we just head down to the quay. A lot of shipping is done in and out of the city there, but there are some postal residences for some Seas there, too."

Tamamoru stuffs his hands into his hoodie pockets. "That is, if you don't think it'll be too far for you? Like this? It might be a bit of a walk, but I can always discuss some basics on the way. Or you can just ask me questions and I can try to answer, too. Or- Or, uh..."

Nina nods in agreement. "It is pretty serious, much more so than anything I've ever done. I hope I can one day reveal my true self here, because if I can't get back home to my world, then I feel like living here is the next best thing. It's not the same as where I came from, but still feels like a place I can belong to." She hops along with Tama and next nods to the thought of where to go, and if it would be too far. "Well I'll do my best, if I need to stop and rest I'll let you know, okay?" She'd offer the idea of swimming and meeting him there if she knew where they were going and if it'd be quicker to get there mostly by sea.

"Well, uh, okay. I'd offer to call us a cab, but, uh- I don't think I can afford one right now. Maybe after I get my first paycheck! That's, uh, two weeks from now? If I don't get fired for doing a bad job, anyway." Tama flashes a smile at this. He's trying to make a joke at the expense of himself. He's poor, only now has a job, comes from a lower class family where his father controls every coin miserly, doesn't have the grades for university or the money, and just wants to live a life enjoying the beach and the ocean. It's no wonder he doesn't think highly of himself, but maybe that's why he was given a chance by the most unlikely of deer.

"Go ahead, ask me anything!"

Nina grins a bit. "It's been a bit hard getting by since I got here. I'm used to my dad getting me everything I need, often going overboard like he's trying to compensate for not being around. Wish I asked him for money before I ended up here." She says with a laugh, though it doesn't occur to her in the moment that said money would likely be useless here anyway. She tries to think of something really good to ask him, but is drawing a blank, so she goes with a more fun question. "What's your favorite sea animal?"

"My favorite...sea animal?" No pressure. That's being put on the spot. "Well, uh, that's a bit complicated. I don't know of many personally. I've seen a couple spotted seals along the quay district, but, uh, that's not exactly what you're asking." Tamamoru the Tiger continues to walk as they talk. It's far less about Sea Speak than general trivia about Sea Animal culture...or what little is known. Nina is likely old enough to tell that there's a scholastic perspective on things and an experienced one. Tama's passion is one based on textbook facts and assumptions with very little personal experience. There's likely a very good reason everybody was so excited when Nina showed up on the beach that one evening.

The quay itself is massive and while certain sections are set aside just for large shipping vessels, there are small docks for independent ships and fishing vessels. Fishing is not as huge of an industry as one might think, which is something Nina might notice. Aside from the docks, there's beach space lined with small mailboxes and address signs. There are no houses, however. A path leads along this beach edge, although it's lacking the typical sandy expanse in this area. It's somewhat rocky.

Nina continues to follow along with Tama, and while she is a bit disappointed in his lack of a real answer, she can't really blame him if he's barely even met any sea animals. "Ah, I see. So there really isn't much interaction between the land animals and sea animals here... Guess that's why everyone was so surprised when I swam up onto the beach that one day, and Louis helping me attend a school here is such a big deal." She comments as she looks around to make sure no one was looking before she shifts back to human form as the path gets a little too rocky to be comfortable. She pulls a pair of black flats out of her purse and puts them on.

"I notice there aren't as many fishing boats around as I'd expect to see in a place like this. Not many land animals here eat fish? Where I come from the animals you'd normally expect to eat fish of course do, and even some you might not expect."

There may not be any outside observers around to see what Nina can do, but there's still the tiger. He stares for a while as she puts on some shoes, then realizes he's staring and forcefully looks away with some amount of shame and apology. "Fishing? Oh!"

Head lowered and ears lain back, the tiger walks away while allowing the subject change to help him (perhaps) save face. "Well, that's pretty new, actually. I don't know all the details, but rumor has it there was some sort of okay over eating fish. It's very controversial, since a skilled animal in Sea Speak can talk to just about any Sea Animal that cares to chat. Some of the Seas that have been working to bridge the gap claim it's Eat or Be Eaten in their society and that it's okay. I don't know what to think about it all, if I'm being honest. It still seems kind of wrong? Another rumor says the Sublime Beastar retired over the go ahead on fishing even though he wanted to turn it down, but I dunno. He was really scary."

Indeed, the coastal line seems to have plenty of addresses for sea animals. Some mailboxes even have bells to ring. One quick bloop of water nearby might reveal that the Sea that checked their mail was...a fish.

Nina is a little surprised by that revelation. "Wow, I never would have thought it would be possible to talk to a tuna or something like that, and can understand how that might make some question whether it's okay to eat them, but yeah, in the ocean it does seem like there's always a bigger fish and they don't tend to ask questions about gobbling up any smaller creature they can fit in their mouth. What's this about a Sublime Beastar?" She asks with a curious tone despite that Tama said they were scary, only to blink and turn toward the bloop near one of the mailboxes.

"You know. The Beastar? Yahya?" It sounds as if the name is a different thick pronunciation of Joshua. Tama, being incredibly dense as he is, doesn't even catch on for a good ten seconds that Nina has no idea who the Beastar even is or what the position is.

The tiger's eyes widen and he suddenly scrambles in place. "O-oh! Uh. You don't know about the Beastar. Of course you don't know about the Beastar. Of ''course''. Stupid me. Uh, um. Okay, so...there was a war between the Carnivores and Herbivores a hundred years ago. Most of the country was devastated and many parts operate without law or with disregard. The only way for society to be repaired was to establish some animal to become the Sublime Beastar to help steer us all in a positive direction. Of course, devourings have become more and more of a problem, eheh, and that lead up to the riots on abolishing Black Markets. That's around the time that fish showed up and animals started fishing on their own. Um- The Sublime Beastar is usually elected by the All-Organism Council, but ever since Yahya retired we haven't had a new one appointed yet. Rumors went around for a while that Mister Louis turned down the job in order to run his father's company, but I don't see why you couldn't do both at the same time. It'd be nice to have that kind of power and money." Such subjects always seem to bring out just how poor and lower-class Tamamoru and family are.

Nina stares at Tama a bit, the talk of a relatively recent war, devourings, and riots for closing the black market, which considering the setting it doesn't take a genius to guess that if eating herbivores is not acceptable, that there might be illicitly begotten meat on this black market, it's a lot to take in.

"Oh... just a hundred years ago? There have been such fights where I'm from, but it's been much longer than that I think... Anima city seems pretty safe, though I guess if it were totally safe my dad wouldn't think I needed a bodyguard." She proposes with a shrug, being rather naive to the true underbelly of her home city. "Kinda surprised herbivores and carnivores are getting along as well as they are here... though I guess if there are still devourings then it could certainly still be better..." She says with a shudder, realizing there are certainly predators here that would likely have little trouble overpowering her, even once she's an adult.

She is happy to change the subject to that of Louis. "Isn't Louis taking classes for university on top of running the company? Guess adding a third responsibility on top of that is more than he wants to bear."

"Uh. University? Maybe? I mean, he wouldn't have a problem affording it." There's some longing in Tamamoru's voice as he says this, turning away to head down a side path while stuffing his hands into his shorts pockets. "I don't know much about Mister Louis other than what the news likes talking about." After all, Tama wasn't even aware that was Louis at the beach that night. Television and media shots always seem to look different than real life. "I guess he's kinda my boss now. Or, uh, boss' boss' boss? Or something?"

A little seaside snack shack sits ahead. It's a small thing run by only one person, but they offer at least six popular things on the chalkboard menu. This time, however, there's a different smell in the air drifting from the little snackery. Tama seems to perk up in curiosity when the smell drifts by, but Nina likely already knows the scent or some variant: flame-grilled fish. "That's strange. Usually it smells like noodles." The tiger doesn't even realize he's wiping some drool from the corner of his mouth.

Nina catches the way Tama speaks in a longing tone and looks away after speaking of being able to afford going to a university. She reaches up to attempt a gentle pat on his back and smiles if he looks at her. Despite the fact that she's from a fairly wealthy family, she knows she is in an even worse financial situation than Tama, and will have to make do as best she can, her best hope on the subject of higher education likely being given a scholarship of some sort because she's a sea animal.

The smell of grilled fish does indeed catch her attention, and she feels her mouth watering as well, and he stomach growls. "Mmm, smells like grilled mahi-mahi, one of my favorites." She comments and quickens her pace towards the shack.

"Really?" voices Tama as he finds himself suddenly lagging behind the young lady. "Oh, neat!" he adds in, before he relents, "What's mahi-mahi?"

The snack shack has a single occupant working -- some kind of weasel -- and thankfully no huge lines. One individual walks away with something, but only their back is visible while they nom away in departure. In addition to a grill for tofu and noodles, there's a new addition: A small open-flame grill with a rack for skewered fish to rest over it.

The weasel joyfully greets the girl. "You're here for the noodles? We can make noodles with no salt, salt, and extra salt. Guaranteed to fill the belly with rich umami and happiness. Ah, but you don't want noodles. Do you?"

Tamamoru's thick build (with a little bit of chub) is slow to catch up as the path follows up a little bit of an incline. "Oof, wow, you sure can move fast when you wanna. I'm a much faster swimmer, I swear."

"It's an ocean fish common in warmer waters, coincidentally also called a dolphin fish, they're yellow to green on the sides and blue along the top and dorsal fin. Like tuna, they also grow very fast and can get pretty big. As far as eating goes, they have a mild flavor, a little on the sweet side for a fish." Nina explains as she looks back to Tama, waiting for him to catch up as she nears the shack. After listening to the weasel she looks back to Tama. "I kind of want to try both, maybe a little of the noodles and the fish?" She asks as she looks between them, wondering if that's even an option, or perhaps they could have an order of both and split half of each.

Of course Nina knows about eating fish. She's a dolphin. Sometimes. It's not until he arrives and sees the cooking fish along with Nina's musings over what to order that he puts it all together. One of his favorite street stands is now serving fish. All he can do for a moment is stand there, staring, jaw hanging loosely. He doesn't shake from it until a bit of drool drips from his jaws. He startles and brushes at his face and turns away in embarrassment.

"They sell fish. I-" There's some internal struggling to be had before the tiger starts digging his wallet out of his shorts' back pocket, but opens it to find that he just doesn't have enough money to spend on fish and noodles for both. Conflicted, he tugs the yen note free that he has and hands it over for an order of noodles and grilled fish. The cooked fish smell is overpowering so close, however, and Tama has to hide his face away so Nina doesn't see his exposed fangs that he can't help but bare. "You go ahead!" he says, turned away.

"Wait, you want the noodles salt or extra salt?" asks the weasel of either. Wasn't no salt also a choice?

Nina_Flip wonders for a moment if the extra salt was something for helping sea animals here keep their salt content up even if they can't spend as much time in the ocean, but she decides to ask Tama. "Um, what would you recommend as far as salt? Do you think the noodles need salt to be good?" Of course she was also planning on sharing as she could tell that Tama was hungry despite his attempts to hid it, that drooling was not missed by her. "On a different note, is there anything else you want to teach me today or talk about? Stuff about how school here is, or tips on living around here?"

While all of this is going on and being said with questions concerning the saltiness of the noodles while ignoring the crispy open flame-grilled fish hiding no doubt unimaginable juiciness inside, Tamamoru rubs his hands over his face as he remains turned away in an effort to regain his composure and not look like a desperately hungry Carnivore in public. One might not be able to tell from a glance, but the general pudginess accentuating Tama's out-of-shape figure -- despite his skill in swimming and water rescue -- isn't due to frequent snacking. He doesn't get to snack all that much due to not earning his own money...but he's getting there.

Tamamoru turns and rushes over to the kiosk, zipping right past the human Nina, before firmly planting his hands on the amazingly narrow serving counter. "You can't just give somebody extra salted noodles until they've worked up to it with regular salted noodles. That's being irresponsible. You might overload some animal's sense of taste forever with an explosive combination of salty and umami with perfectly undercooked noodles dropped into steaming hot broth with delicious tofu and vegetables. For as many times as I've shopped here, you've never asked me if I wanted extra salt noodles, so give the young girl a break if you want repeat business. Flavor blowouts help nobody!"

The kiosk worker stares in silence, tongs in hand holding some noodles over a bowl of broth. It would seem that Nina's questions have to wait a moment longer.

Nina blinks as Tama doesn't seem to hear her question, or at least is too worked up by the guy running the shack having the audacity to offer her extra salt as a new customer and what horrible crimes against flavor that could bring. She eventually recovers from being stunned by the outburst, and nods. "Yeah... I'll have regular salt I guess, was leaning that way anyway..."

"Then you'll be surprised to know that I've been giving you the extra salt noodles instead of regular salt noodles the past three times you've ordered it." At this, the weasel punctuates this fact bomb by plopping the noodles into the regularly-salted broth-filled bowl. Tama recoils as if burned.

While the weasel hands over the paper bowl of noodles (with bamboo chopsticks) and a fried fish on a stick for Nina to collect, a rather defeated-looking Tama with slumped shoulders and loosely hanging arms walks away. "Extra salt? The whole time...?" he mutters to himself. He doesn't wander very quickly. Nina should have little trouble catching up. "How come I couldn't tell? My mastery of salt-tasting must have advanced without my knowing."

Nina asks for an extra bowl as she moves to take her food and smiles to the weasel. "Thank you!" She offers before turning to catch up with Tama, shrugging at the question of his salt-tasting mastery. "Maybe you eased into it so you didn't notice?" She offers her theory as she comes up beside him.

"Still kind of scummy that he didn't tell you about it. What if you had some health condition and were trying to cut back on your salt?" She shakes her head and takes a seat as she finds an empty picnic table to eat at. "So uh, any advice on school and living here, like I asked about before?"

"He probably meant well. If I couldn't handle the salt, I would be ordering without, right?" Head in his hands, Tamamoru wanders on along the path until they reach an overlook of the ocean where animals can sit and enjoy the view and breeze.

"Oh. Sorry. We're still on the clock. Don't tell Mister Louis about any of this, okay?" The big tiger collapses onto a wooden bench with a sigh. "Stay in school and work hard so that you can go to university so you don't wind up like Tama-sensei," he jokes, but there's sincerity there nonetheless. "If you're going to academy, you don't have to worry too much about a place to live and they cover your meals and most animal needs. Make lots of friends and see which doors those experiences open for you." The striped cat rubs one upper arm. "You're a Sea Animal. Mostly. Kinda. Companies will want to hire you up in a hurry. It makes places look progressive. At least that's what they say on the news. You don't have to worry about being considered lower class just because of your family, so you have a pretty good chance no matter what you do."

Nina nods, again feeling bad for Tama that she would apparently have an easier time getting into university as long as she studied hard, and a good job, even though she didn't have a family to support her, just because being a sea animal made her rather special around here. But on the other hand, she was glad to hear that she had a good chance of avoiding the fate of living on the streets with barely any money because she has no family to support her here.

She pulls the extra bowl out and puts half the noodles in, then breaks the skewer of fish in half and places it in the bowl as well, resting atop the noodles as she slides it over to Tama with a smile. "I will only tell Louis about the good stuff, and that you're being a big help. I appreciate what you're doing for me, I know it's kind of your job, but I'm glad to have someone nice to show me the ways of being a sea animal here."

"Well, I'm not very smart. I can't run much without getting out of breath. Nobody wanted to hire me because my, uh... My family has a bad reputation. All I know is that I really love the ocean. I spend hours just watching the water or the sunlight dancing over the surface, or the fish leaping from the water to catch insects. I paid extra attention to Sea Speak lessons in school, but I pretty much bombed everything else. Just wasn't interested. Saved up my money for months just to take a certification class on basic first aid and rescue. I'm not actually a real lifeguard. I'm just kinda sorta one."

Tama is so lost in his thoughts as he speaks, staring out at the water, that he doesn't even really notice Nina do the things she does. When she pushes over a bowl to offer part of the food, the tiger looks down at the bowl in shock. "...oh!"

Nina takes a few bites of the food as she listens to Tama talk. Tama probably doesn't notice this either, at least at first, but it's clear by the look on her face and the fact that she keeps eating but savors each bite while also keeping a pace that will finish the food before it gets cold, that she likes it a lot. When he notices the food she gave him, she smiles.

"I'm sure you're hungry too, and I don't need to eat it all. I think it's cool though that you have a passion for the ocean, you just got to work with that I guess. Like, I'm not sure you're going to make a living teaching sea speak unless you find a lot of others to teach besides me... But, what would it take for you to become a real lifeguard? If you're feeling a little out of shape maybe we can go swimming together and do some running on the beach."

"Well. It- It's not that simple," says Tama and he carefully picks up the bowl. "Getting in shape or, or working with Seas is one thing, but- I'm a Carnivore. No Herbivore is going to want me sitting in a chair at the beach watching them and their children playing. It's, well, it's different when we're all just young animals hanging out at the beach. It's different when it's actually your job."

Beast society is a lot more complicated than it might look from the outside. Lacking chopsticks, Tamamoru uses the fish half while tipping the bowl up to eat. He's a big cat, even for his age, so it's likely no surprise that he can eat very quickly. The shared portion doesn't last long at all in the tiger's hands and, in the end, Nina is left with a tiger tutor with a fried fish sticking from his mouth.

Nina continues to eat, lamenting a moment that she forgot to ask for an extra set of chopsticks for Tama, but he seems to manage well enough without them. She does frown though at the given reason why he's not an actual lifeguard, as it's certainly not something with an easy fix, or any fix that Nina could think of for that matter. "So the distrust still runs that deep huh? Doesn't matter that you're nice and would never hurt anyone, they view you for what you are, not who you are..."

She assumes she will likely face a bit less stigma judging from the other advantages already mentioned for her being a sea animal, and even though dolphins can certainly be dangerous, where she's from people don't seem to view them as a threat as much as other carnivores. She decides not to ask directly, fearing it might make Tama feel worse about it.

"I, er, well, yeah..." Tama mumbles with the fish still hanging from his mouth. The stick is tugged away and the big cat is left chewing on juicy grilled fish meat. It's absolutely delicious and very fulfilling up until a voice is heard from the path as a gazelle and her young child walk by, the mother pushing a carriage with another baby inside.

"Look, mama. He's eating a ''fishy'' like from Finding Minnow." A small finger is pointing acutely. The mother reaches out to take the young animal's other hand before hurrying their wheeled pace away, even if she has to pull the little gazelle along. Tama's ears tip backward and he ashamedly looks over to Nina. He doesn't say anything. He did mention that fish-eating was still controversial, yet here he is. He quietly sits the remainder of the fish in the empty bowl, chews and swallows what's in his mouth, and then quietly speaks.

"Udabibe buuiao tsubibi. It, uh, means 'I want to use Land Speak'. Not many Seas know Land Speak, but any animal that wants to try talking to you in Sea Speak will have to honor your request..."

"Uda..bibee buuiiao tssu..bibi." Nina does her best to sound her way though and mimic what Tama said, doing her best to move past the encounter with the gazelle mother and child so Tama doesn't feel even more awkward than he already does. She hopes that things will change, and maybe she can be a part of that change, but expecting sunshine and rainbows with carnivores and herbivores holding hands in song anytime soon is a bit too naive to expect, even for her. "How will they honor my request if they don't know Land Speak?"

"Oo dah bee bay. Boo ee ow. Soo bee bee," clarifies and corrects the tiger. "Nina, um, this is just so you can go to school and all, right? You know, you probably won't run into any other Seas, but they, uh, teach Sea Speak as part of the core curriculum. Other kids will probably try to talk to you the same way I did when we saw you swim up onto the beach that night." Tama might feel bad about the eating fish thing, but once the Herbivores are out of sight he hurried pulls the remaining fish off the stick and scarfs it down. He doesn't have the money to waste food and it's not like he killed the fish in the first place.

"I can still teach you the basics, you know." He tries to discreetly pick between his teeth with a claw. "I mean, that's what Mister Louis hired me to do and I'm thankful for the job, but I'm not sure I understand why. There are professional classes you can take outside of school to learn it and nobody would ever think you're a Sea Animal when you look like that, but many Herbivores will probably think you're a Carnivore even if you're not. Ape species and all. I don't...really understand how you do that, but that's what some animals might think, and, uh, there's a lot of bias that comes with it."

"Maybe I just answered my own question."

Nina nods as Tama mentions that this is so she can go to school, and agrees he's probably right considering what else he's told her, and how big a deal this is that she's going to the school in the first place, that she's unlikely to run into other Seas. She's happy to learn the basics though, even if she doesn't fully understand what Louis had planned 'down the road' so to speak. The comment about her being viewed as a carnivore even if she's not gets a blink though.

"Wait, I'm not? Are Seas viewed as something entirely separate? I mean, even if I stayed in my dolphin form forever more, I still eat fish, and other meat sometimes, I certainly don't have herbivore teeth even if they aren't as... impressive as yours." She says trying to make it a compliment rather than say they were scary.

"Um. Well, yeah. Sea Animals aren't Land Animals. They have a different society; a different, um, philosophy. I don't understand your confusion... They're a different culture entirely, just like Carnivores and Herbivores. I don't remember much from history. Just that we had a big falling out about a hundred years ago and the Carnivores won and we've been paying for it ever since." Tamamoru offers to take the garbage and carry it over to a nearby bin.

"You might be an ape sometimes, or a dolphin sometimes, but it sounds to me like you probably fit in more with the Seas than the Carnis, right?" This kind of thing isn't Tama's strongest suit to work by, but he's trying. "So, that's why you want to learn more about Sea Speak so that you can learn more about Beast Culture. Right? I'll play my part to get you there. At least with some money that's mine my dad can't get so upset that I like to hang out on the beach. Win-win."

|}}

2022-02-24 - A Visit to the Louis Estate

2022-08-23T07:03:26Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=A Visit to the Louis Estate |Summary=Nina Flip decides to visit the home of that one deer with bodyguards she met, Louis. |Who=Louis, Nina_Flip |Da..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=A Visit to the Louis Estate
|Summary=Nina Flip decides to visit the home of that one deer with bodyguards she met, Louis.
|Who=[[Louis]], [[Nina_Flip]]
|Date=February 2nd, 2022
|Where=The Louis Estate in The City of Denko
|Log=

Having spent some time wandering Denko, Nina has decided she likes it here. Senta was cool and all, having some of the allure of the human cities back where she's from, but it was also seemingly more dangerous than here, and Denko also had that odd feeling of being familiar yet different from Anima City. She stopped into a phone store earlier and found that while her phone was remarkably compatible with the network here, the OS and app market had nothing to connect with would make using it for anything more than calls and basic internet rather annoying, so, for now, she got a new sim card and put new phone on her list of things to get if she was going to stay around town.

The best person she knew to ask about that, by virtue of being one of the only animals in town she knows so far, is Louis, so she did some looking around to find out more about him and ended up learning where his estate is. So after a long and 'interesting' trip across town on mass transit, and a good bit of walking, she arrives at the gates, taking a moment to slip out of her shoes to rub her sore feet a moment before finally pressing the call button at the gate, waiting for a voice to respond, then speaking herself. "Hello. This is Nina Flip, I'm friends with Louis, was hoping he was around so I could ask him about some things?"

The voice on the other end of the connection sounds tired, though it shouldn't necessarily be heard as rude. "Nina...Flip? One moment." There is a silence that follows. Thankfully, the day is decent with weather, although the chill of winter is still present. It's hard to see much detail of the estate from the distance through the iron gate and the stone walls and trees that line the estate's borders only make it more difficult everywhere else.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I don't see your name on the list of guests expected for admittance. While I'm ''very sure'' you're ''very good'' friends with the Master, there's nothing I can do if you don't ha-" A sudden bit of a scuffle can be heard over the line with protests from whose voice it is talking, but soon enough a voice speaks up again. It's not the same one. This one is...familiar(?), but it's not Louis.

"Nina. Did you bring taiyaki?"

Nina frowns as the voice on the other end starts going through their 'you're not on the list, I'm sorry but Louis is very busy' spiel, which means she came all this way basically for nothing. But then there is another voice, one that isn't Louis, but she definitely recognizes it. She giggles and shakes her head despite the gesture being unseen. "Ack, sorry Miguel, If I had known you'd be around I might have, though it was a long trip getting here and my feet hurt despite not carrying anything here but my own self. If I need an appointment to see Louis I guess I can try to make one and come back another time..."

"Let her in."

"Security protocol exists for a reason. We can't just-"

"She's a friend of the boss. Let her in."

"Listen, she already said as much but I- Ah-hahaha, those are, um, really big teeth. Fine! ...fine, but this is on you. Very well, Miss Nina Flip, you've been cleared. The gate will open and close automatically, so please drive through and park near the fountain and we'll have somebody there to welcome you."

There is a click that cuts off any further sounds of muttering argument just before an electric buzzing kicks in and the gate unlocks and begins to swing inward on its own. It's a bit of a walk down the driveway to where the path circles around a fountain, just before the entrance to the mansion. When one considers the compact nature of most of the apartments and hotel rooms, space is a huge luxury. This place -- compared to Denko as a sprawling metropolis -- really shows the wealth behind the ones that live here.

Nina winces a little, surprised Miguel had to bear his teeth to convince the deer on the intercom to let her in, but it was hard to argue with its effectiveness. "Okay, sure. Thanks." She responds to the request to drive through the gate when it opens, stifling a laugh, then wincing a little once more as she slides her sore feet back into her shoes that were a little more about fashion than about being good for walking a marathon. She eventually makes her way down the driveway, looking around at the grand estate, an impressed look on her face. Her family wasn't poor by any stretch, with her dad being a crime boss, but her home was nothing quite so grand as this, that was for certain. She can't resist putting her hand into the stream of the fountain as she passes, but soon is at the main entrance, and assumes she doesn't need to knock at this point, so she just waits to be let in.

Who is it that awaits Nina's journey's conclusion but Miguel himself. The lion with cornrows sits unceremoniously upon the steps leading up to the front door having only just finished a cigarette. Rather than flicking the butt away, he rises and walks over to push it into a sand-filled ashtray before opening the door to let Nina in. Miguel is usually pretty straight-faced, much like Dolph in comparison, and doesn't openly smile in greeting to the young girl. He's by no means unfriendly, of course, but he's also technically 'on the clock'.

The foyer is fairly grand and branches out to many other parts of the large home. It's not traditional for the area in the slightest. Stairs lead up to a landing before splitting off to the upper floor. The floor of the foyer has inlaid marble amidst the hardwood and accent rugs. There are plants, portraits in thick frames, and even a central chandelier. Soon upon entry, a short sheep hurriedly wanders along, wearing very formal clothing that puts even the lion's suit to shame, but the sheep stops to regard Nina.

"I wasn't made aware we were expecting guests today. I need to know these things."

Miguel dryly replies, "Yuta, Nina Flip is here to discuss private matters with the boss. Where is he?"

Yuta doesn't immediately respond. He looks between Nina and Miguel a few times. This wasn't some hired underling. Yuta has the air of somebody in charge without being Louis or his wife. Anybody with such experience might recognize Yuta's station as the Head Butler. Enough time is spent sizing up the situation, however, and Yuta relents. "The Master is in his office. He's been in there for hours and I won't be happy if he misses dinner again. Remind him, if you would, and if he doesn't heed politeness I say you might drag him to the dining room by the ear if it weren't ''extremely'' disrespectful. You, however, can probably get away with it."

The sheep looks to Nina directly. "Do you require any refreshment or amenity? I'll have somebody see to you, if so." Yuta waits for a response without rushing off, but he does seem to be in quite a hurry.

Nina looks around briefly after following Miguel in before her attention is drawn to the approaching sheep. She gives him an apologetic look at the mention of not being informed of her arrival but doesn't go as far as to admit that she was an unannounced guest. She grins a little at the mental image of Miguel dragging Louis to the dinner table by the ear, and nods as Yuta asks if she needs any refreshment. "Some hot tea would be amazing if you have it, green would be preferred, if not water is okay."

"I'll relay this to the kitchen." Yuta has little more to say; he's off to see to other household matters. A few other household servants might be seen wandering about, but in general it's all very quiet. The inside of the mansion feels much like one might imagine it to from looking on from outside. Things are kept very neat, very clean, and the decor looks ridiculously expensive. The one who owns this property is the same deer that was relaxing, shoe off, at the beach?

Miguel isn't nearly as formal, but he's at least professional and gestures with a hand in the general direction to take to head toward the office in use. He's also not the biggest conversationalist, but he'd probably respond to an open dialogue. The first step is take the steps up, then, once at the landing, turn left and up the next set of steps to reach the upper floor where one can reach the Upper West Wing main hall. All in all, it's not that long of a walk, but it may seem that way to one not used to such a large residence.

The office door is closed. Miguel waits to knock until he knows Nina is ready. "We don't like to disturb the boss, but he'll probably make an exception for a personal visit," he states.

Nina takes a moment to look out at the view of the ocean, very much looking past the deer sitting on the beach, though she did notice them, as she thinks about how nice it would feel to stretch out her tail and have a swim after that long walk. As it is, she is sort of flexing/stretching her toes now that she's barefoot again, following Miguel up to the office. "Does Louis miss dinner frequently? Guess that would explain some why he's so skinny. Also been a while since I saw you, anything interesting happen since that day at the bakery?"

There's some history between Louis and the lions and not eating well, but that's a matter that no animal speaks of these days. "The boss eats when he needs to eat, but he has a lot on his plate as it is." Miguel makes jokes, perhaps even unintentionally. "Haven't had a chance to get any taiyaki yet. Forgot about it. The boss keeps us pretty busy, but it's all business related." That's one way to say 'I can't talk about it'. "Get some time off soon, but not sure what to do with it, yet."

The tall lion stands there beside the door leading to the office, back to the wall, with one hand loosely clasping the other arm's wrist. These lions definitely have the bodyguard image down. "Ready to chat with the boss?" All he needs is the okay to give the door a quick three taps; he's even in a good position to reach over and open the door for Nina.

Nina nods, grinning at the joke, intended or not, with the expression shifting to a simple smile as Miguel mentions taiyaki again and having some time off soon that he isn't sure what to do with. "Well, if you want to go get some taiyaki together, I wouldn't turn it down." She says with a light chuckle. Then at the question of if she is ready, she takes a moment to adjust her dress and brushes her bangs out of her eyes with her fingers, then nods. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Not a bad idea."

Rap-tap-tap. Silence follows, albeit in some brief measure, though long enough that it may be sign of disturbance. "Come in," is spoken and, despite the muffling from the heavy door, it's yet another familiar voice. A large arm reaches across the door, a big clawed hand grasps the handle firmly, and a slight turn allows Miguel to push the door inward to open the way. Within, it's very much an office. There is a large corner desk, shelves full of books, filing cabinets, among other necessities for home business. When you're the CEO, sometimes you get to work from home.

A tired looking deer rubs his face and eyes before straightening up in his seat to peer across the office at those in the doorway with some curiosity. The room has thin carpeting and the placement of furnishings manages the acoustics within really well to keep things dampened. It's quite possible that things are usually pretty silent in here aside from the ticking of a wall clock. One of the buck's hands moves to carefully mark the place in a book before closing it with a thump. That's a thick heavy book to make that noise.

"Yes, what is it, Miguel?"

"A visitor, boss."

"I suppose I could use a break before I fall asleep. Come in." Miguel makes no motion to enter. In fact, he'll close the door behind Nina after she enters.

Standing just out of sight through the door, Nina doesn't see Louis when the door opens, but she is happy to hear his voice and that he seems amenable to seeing a visitor. As he asks for her to come in, she steps through the doorway, taking just a brief moment to look back at Miguel and smile while whispering a 'thank you' since she hadn't said so earlier and she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for his vouching for her.

She turns back to Louis as she makes her way further into the room. "Hi, hope you don't mind me coming unannounced, should have figured you're busy and probably have your day planned way in advance most of the time... But, I wanted to talk to you... about maybe finding a place here, and probably getting back to going to school, as much as wandering around and shopping all day would be fun, I would like to make something of myself when I get older."

There is a bit of visible confusion at first on the deer's face. He doesn't get many human visitors, true, yet Louis' eyes search for a moment before he's able to come up with a sense of familiarity. Still, he doesn't interrupt and listens to what the girl has to say. "Oh, right. Nina. It's been a while." The chair sat upon slides backward on casters allowing Louis some ease in standing. Rather than casual clothing, he wears a well-pressed button-down white shirt and a red silk tie. His face shows some fatigue despite how much he may try to hide it.

"You...said that you were separated from family, yet you seemed pretty independent -- certainly enough to warrant swimming so far to reach our island nation -- so it would be very rude of me to assume or impose." Fingertips trail against the expensive wooden desktop surface as Louis takes a few steps to the side; his footsteps have a distinct soft and heavy fall to them that are rather signature to the nature of his one leg that Nina got to see part of on her night of arrival at the beach where Tamamoru was keeping watch.

The young buck wanders over to a side cart where glasses, a bucket of ice, and a pitcher of water rest. He takes the time to pour himself a glass. "Water?" he offers, unaware of the request for tea already made of staff. "I can say I didn't exactly expect to see you turning up here of all places. I, uh, need a moment to pull my head out of my studies." It would seem he's been doing homework for university rather than company work. "Feel free to have a seat on the side couch or I can pull a chair over to my desk. Whichever you prefer and, well, how about we start from the beginning?"

Nina nods to the question of if she'd like water. Since the tea hasn't been served to her yet and she's still thirsty, she goes for it. "Sure, I am a bit thirsty." She says as she takes a seat on the side couch, opting for the more comfortable and casual seat and stretching out her long slender legs a bit as she sits back in the plush seat.

"Anyway, I guess in my situation I was forced to be independent. I had always dreamed of traveling away from Anima City and seeing more of the world, at the very least spending some time in other parts of Japan, so I guess once I arrived on this world it felt like a dream come true, though as the weeks and months have passed, I have started to feel a little homesick, and while Denko is by no means exactly like the city I'm from, it does feel familiar in some ways, much more than Senta anyway... and I figured that while there is no one really to force me to go anymore, I probably should get back to going to school again. Don't want to end up some uneducated bum on the street."

Louis pours a second glass of water, with a little ice, and walks over to hold it out. "You've really been on your own for some time, haven't you? All things considered, I'd say it's a testament to your wits as much as your upbringing. If there's one thing animals enjoy it's the comfort of repetition and the predictability it brings, even in a bad living situation." The buck wanders over and rests his backside against the edge of his desk, sips some water, then cradles the glass in both hands in thought.

"It takes strength to change that and even more to ask somebody else for help." He inhales deeply before letting it slowly out. "How old are you, exactly? I take it you're no stranger to formal education?"

Nina smiles and takes the glass of water, having a few sips before she speaks again. "It has been a while, longer than I realized before I really stopped to think about it. I've been... getting by I guess, but I'm only fourteen, and with no home, no family around, or even any long-time friends, I decided I really did need some help, but I wasn't really sure who to turn to. As for school, yes, I was going to a private high school in Anima City before I ended up here. My dad also usually hired tutors to help me with my studies while he was busy working."

The deer listens while pondering the different options available. There's a lot to consider and it all requires far more information. "It's a bit of a tricky bridge to cross. By law here you aren't old enough to be an adult, yet you don't have anybody to serve as your guardian. The most important step in seeking permanence would be to obtain a place to safely sleep. Lodging and school both require money and the part time jobs you could get here at your age might not be enough to cover it." Draining the rest of the water from his glass, the buck turns to push away from the desk to wander back over to the cart to place the used glass on the lower rack.

"There might be some financial aid or even housing available from the government, but they'd have to recognize you as a citizen and not just a visitor," he adds while crossing to his chair. Instead of sitting, however, he pulls it around the desk and over to where he can have a more relaxed conversation with Nina while she is on the couch. The chair creaks a little as he reclines. "On the flip side, you could go to an academy -- which would cover a place to live and a place to learn -- but they tend to be more pricey since they cover your amenities and meals. We don't really have any sea animal accommodations, though. Most academies, like our local Cherryton, sort student lodging by Family and Species in addition to Gender unless you can shell out for a private room." That's what Louis did. Well, that's what his father did.

"There might be other options, so before I confer further I have to ask: I know you can metamorphose, so in which of your differing...forms...are you most comfortable?"

Nina frowns. She expected that being an underage teen with no family around wouldn't be any easier here than it might have been back home, though her friend Michiru had seemed to luck into finding some nice people who took her in after she came to Anima City as a runaway. Expecting the situation however didn't make it any easier to deal with as Louis laid out options while also explaining how they would require money which she both didn't have and wasn't likely to be able to earn in large enough amounts. The question of her favored form and how it related to her ability to fit into the system of a school like Cherryton made her pause to think a moment of how to answer.

"Well yes, I can change at will. As for which form I prefer, I'm actually a bit of an oddity where I come from. Everyone I know of that lives in Anima City sticks to their human form most of the time, and while like me they can change whenever they want, the change can also come very easily, even involuntarily, when they are angry, which tends to make fights escalate quickly since for most the shift to animal form makes them bigger and stronger. I on the other hand, like my animal form, and often change into it when I'm happy. So while I am comfortable in both forms, if I had to say which one I prefer, it's my dolphin form."

There is some unspoken confusion with the reference to an animal form since, to Louis and most others of the island nation, both forms seem to fit that description. Nonetheless, he gets an answer which sends him down another line of thought. "Hmm. I can't say for certain, but there- Well, we may have one option available, but it would involve obscuring the truth and in a way that might not excuse your ability to change your appearance."

Louis rests an elbow on the armrest of his chair and props his head up with that hand. He's just about to explain what he means when there's another knock at the door. This time, it's staff. A female deer walks in with a tray with teacups, a teapot, and a bowl of sugar cubes sitting atop it. The buck furrows his brow quizzically. "What? Wait, did you request tea? Uh, just place it over on the serving cart since I don't have a proper table in here for it."

Nina raises an eyebrow at the mention of obscuring the truth and it not excusing her ability to change forms, which sounded to her like pretending she was one form or the other all the time, which if it's not her dolphin form, could be a problem if she ever gets really excited or scared. "What exactly do you mean by that?" She asks for clarification as the tea is brought in, and she had almost forgotten she'd asked for it as well. "Oh right, I did, when I came in with Agata, your butler asked if I needed anything to drink." She moves to pour herself a cup and sits back down as she starts to sip at it.

"Oh, I see you've met Yuta, then," observes Louis. The male deer then looks to the female deer and nods. "Thank you, Bev. Oh, by the way-" The doe pauses and looks to the Master of the Estate with polite silence even as the buck looks to Nina. "It's a couple hours off, yet, but will you be staying for dinner? You are, of course, invited to join my wife and me for an evening meal. If so, Bev can pass along to kitchen staff to prepare another seating. If not, that's fine, too."

It's a very abrupt gesture, but ultimately the choice is Nina's to make.

Nina seems to stop and think a moment at the mention of the name Yuta. "Wait no... that doesn't sound right. Their name was... Miguel, yeah, that's it. I guess I just got a little mixed up." She explains, feeling a little embarrassed. She'd visited other wealthy people's homes, you'd think she'd be able to tell the staff apart, at least that's how she felt about the mix-up. But it's quickly forgotten as the offer of staying for diner is tossed out. She looks a little surprised, wasn't expecting that to be on the table, but she's not going to turn an offer like that down. "Sure, that would be lovely."

It wasn't exactly Nina's fault for mixing up any of the lions. She had met Miguel, Free, and Agata at the sweets shop along with Louis previously, after all. Saying nothing further on the matter of dinner, Louis merely nods in Bev's direction and the female deer acknowledges the change in dinner plans with a quick formal bow before leaving the room. The deer is left alone with the sometimes-dolphin and a tray of tea things on the cart nearby. A glass of water and ice to each of the two already, Louis doesn't immediately rise to see to tea. It likely needs a while to steep for a full pot anyway.

With a sidelong glance to make sure the door is shut completely, the young buck exhales and trails a single fingertip around the lip of his cold glass. "I realize you must be very curious as to what I have in mind, but understand that I barely know you. Still, you're younger than I am and your interest in attending school is something I can't in good conscience ignore. I suppose this would make me your senpai." A senior of affiliation. A mentor.

The deer sits up a bit more straight and takes a sip of water. "I'll be brief and blunt. Almost no Seas -- an abbreviation for Sea Animals -- live on land with us since they require such special conditions for their health and well being. It's not completely unheard of, however, as I learned through my best friend Legosi. The government here has overlooked funding in place for the help and integration of Seas into land animal society, though it comes with a list of notes on proper use."

Louis' right ear flicks a few times. He's definitely deep in thought over this. "We could likely qualify you for a scholarship on those grounds." He pauses a beat before adding, "As a dolphin." His stare becomes a bit more direct as he states as much.

Nina listens carefully as Louis further explains the situation and by the end, it becomes rather clear that she was right, though in hindsight the question about which form she prefers was a pretty dead giveaway. Still, if she was going as a dolphin, she felt she could do this, in fact, staying as a dolphin all the time sounded fun, there was just one problem with that plan that she wondered about. "I think I could manage to stay in my dolphin form a lot more reliably than if I was trying to avoid changing into it. But how would I get around? I can sort of manage over relatively short distances, but moving across the whole school is going to be slow and exhausting if I'm tail-walking the whole way..."

"That's a good question."

The red deer rises and walks over to his desk, moves a coaster from the cart to his desktop, and then puts the half-empty glass of water upon it. He doesn't have a ready answer, it seems. Instead, he offers a different angle. "If we can manage to get you sponsored, you'd have a few schools to probably choose from." He sighs again. There's something eating at him. "Now, I can get nearly any Headmaster of nearly any school in the nation to talk to me, being who I am and the company I own, but that doesn't mean that just anybody would agree."

Walking back over to the cart, Louis rests his hands near the tray, but all he does is stare at the teapot in more deep thought. "There's one Headmaster that I could get to accept- ''make'' accept you, pending a granted scholarship, but that's asking a very big favor." It's the kind of big favor that tends to only come with a return favor in agreement of equal importance.

Nina nods at the answer. She wasn't expecting Louis to come back with a solution instantly, maybe hoping a little, but the kind of hoping one does with their fingers crossed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see how things go. I don't want to put you into an awkward position any more than I already am. I know I'm in a tough situation and there are no easy ways out, well, besides giving up, that would be easy, but I'm not a girl who gives up easily."

"Don't misunderstand me. There isn't a situation that I can get into that I cannot get out of; if I know the correct animal to talk to, that is." Louis pours a cup of tea, a green Genmaicha blend. "Don't worry about me. You have other issues to worry about. I may be able to -- pardon the phrase -- sell you off as just a dolphin, but there's one thing that unravels the entire thread." Taking the teacup in one hand on a saucer and the bowl of sugar cubes in another, Louis walks over to offer the drink to Nina despite her having a glass of water already. The small end table beside the couch probably serves best for a beverage stand for her. He walks back to put the sugar bowl away on the tray and, if Nina takes any, grabs a teaspoon to take back and hand over.

"How do you feel about private tutoring once again?" he asks before producing his phone from his pocket. When he flicks it on, the picture on the lock screen isn't of him with another deer such as his wife. It's a picture of him with a lion wearing glasses. None of the other lions around Louis seem to wear any.

Nina nods as she takes the cup of tea, having at least drank a bit more than half the water in her glass from earlier so it hasn't gone to waste. She answers partially as she puts a couple of cubes of sugar into her tea. "Well, then just tell me what I need to do to make this work, and feel free to ask me anything that might be helpful." She takes the spoon and stirs her tea a bit before taking a sip, then looks up again at the question about tutoring. "I'm okay with it. I'm not ashamed to admit I'll probably need it. New school, new place, different customs."

A quick scrolling through a list of names is enough to find the target. A tap here, then a tap there, and then a third reveals the ringing of an outgoing call on speakerphone. It takes a few rings before a gruff older masculine voice answers: "I don't know this number. Who is this?"

"Ah, I must have the pleasure of speaking with the admirable and industrious Ichigo the Malayan Tiger. My name is Louis the Red Deer."

"I'm not interested."

"Of Horns Conglomerate. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

Louis looks over to Nina while standing there, phone in hand, offering what must be a very smug smile. Whatever he said, the tone from the older animal on the phone changes completely. "What is it that I can do for you, Mister Louis the Red Deer?" It is spoken slowly with a mixture of forced and genuine respect which may, to Nina, sound cautious.

Turning away, Louis paces a few steps away. "I'm actually trying to get in contact with your son. I have a temporary position I'd like to hire him into. Is he available?" There is a pause that follows, perhaps a hand-covered muting while conversation is spoken between Ichigo and another. Horns Conglomerate has only recently begun to consider Carnivore hirees, so there is a lot of prestige in the notion, temporary job or otherwise.

"...one moment, please, Mister Louis the Red Deer." Silence returns.

Nina listens quietly, both out of interest and respect for what Louis was doing for her, though she didn't really have anything to say anyway. She does hear that tone of caution though, and it reminds her of times she's happened upon 'business' dealings between her dad and others, that she was probably not meant to hear. But it's hard to completely keep your own daughter from getting at least a hint of your professional life, even if you barely spend any time with her, or maybe that just raised her curiosity further.

Louis begins to pace back over to Nina where he pauses, expecting look upon his face, as he waits. Finally, a voice speaks up over the phone. "Hello? This is Mister Louis? Something about a job?"

"Yes, it's Louis. Relax. It's something simple yet unorthodox and would cater to your particular talents. If you enjoy it, perhaps we can work out something more permanent later."

"I don't understand. I haven't applied to work for your company." A voice in the background noise sounds to be another, possibly Ichigo, objecting. The familiar voice on the phone clarifies, "I mean, I'm very honored to be offered a job. What, uh, what is it you need me to do?"

"Well, I need you to tutor somebody. She's here with me now and I'd like to leave the scheduling between you both, but it's of mild urgency. I'd like to see some quick results."

The familiar voice sounds even more confused. "What? Teach what? Teach who?"

Louis holds out the phone a bit so that anything Nina has to say can be easily heard over the line. "Well, Tamamoru, do you remember that dolphin that swam up onto the beach some time back? Why don't you two say hello to one another. I need you to teach her something most animals think she already knows: Sea Speak."

Nina again listens quietly for a bit, though she wonders what this special talent Louis was referring to was, and why the tutoring was at all urgent. She had assumed it was going to be tutoring to help her with the class-work. But of course, there was another wrinkle in this plan that she had completely forgotten about, but when Louis speaks of it, it all comes flooding back. "Oh, hi... I guess that is something I should probably know... otherwise I'm going to come across as a very strange dolphin girl."

"The dol- Oh! Right, I remember that. Hello! It's me, Tamamoru. From the beach."

Louis creases his forehead and silently sighs before flatly saying, "She knows who you are." This is what happens when he learns of people through Legosi.

"Oh, right. Uh, well, my Sea Speak isn't perfect, but it's always been a passion. I just love the beach and the ocean. Ever since I was three years old my grandfather discovered how well I took to swimming and I was always really hard to get pulled away." Despite only being a voice over the line, the way Tama talks makes it seem like he's gripping the home phone receiver with both hands while talking down into it. "I wanted to go to university after high school to learn more about Sea Speak and the ocean, but my grades were really poor since I spent my time at the beach instead of studying."

"I don't care if you want to teach at the beach, but if you need access to better materials in order to tutor her better, I'll see what I can do. Are you interested?"

"Sure! Uh, hey, dolphin girl...? Wait, what was your name?"

Nina sips more of her tea and smiles, looking rather excited by this idea, she was already thinking about trying to learn as much about the sea folk here as she can, as it would be both interesting, and likely helpful if she's going to be trying to pretend to be one. "I certainly won't complain about being tutored at the beach, sounds fun." She says with a light laugh. "Nina, Nina Flip. I'm actually really looking forward to this."

"Excellent," remarks Louis, then begins to continue on. "Either you or your father call my office tomorrow to set up an appointment and we-" However, the deer is interrupted before he can say much more.

"Nina! Okay, but, uh, Nina- When you showed up that night, did you really turn into a Land Animal and run off with that girly buck?" Sudden indignation fires up in Louis' eyes.

"Girly buck?!" exclaims Louis, raising his voice enough that passing staff in the hall can hear it.

"Yeah, she changed into a Land Animal and then some effeminate deer ran off with her in a real hurry and left everybody confused. Did that really happen or was it, like, uh, a magic trick?"

The deer all but thrusts the phone into the girl's hands, occupied with tea or otherwise, so that he can stalk over to the tea tray and pour a cup ''angrily''.

Nina scrambles to take the phone as it is thrust upon her, spilling some of her tea on the floor. She looks to Louis for guidance here, but he seems pretty put off by the 'girly buck' comment, not that she could blame him, so it seems she's on her own here for a moment so she answers honestly. "It was no magic trick, it's a special ability of mine. But it's kind of important we keep it secret, so try not to go around telling all your friends about it, please?"

The voice on the phone stammers a bit. "W-w-well, I mean, sure, of course, but can all Sea Animals do that or only some? I kinda recall you being really excited to show it off to everyone there, but some of the Herbis got spooked and left and people were whispering." Meanwhile, Louis walks back over with a cup of tea in his hands and eyes narrowed by insult.

"Yes, Tamamoru. We know. We were there." Louis shifts his lower jaw to one side in displeasure.

"What? Ha. Ha ha ha. For a moment there, you almost had me, Mister Louis, sir. Ha ha ha ha. The only deer there was the one that ran away with...uh..." The line goes quiet, to the point that it sounds like the call has disconnected, but the screen very clearly shows it still ongoing.

Louis turns away and sips his tea. Tama clearly means well, but he's damned idiot, apparently.

Nina takes a moment to think about how to answer that. "Um, let's just say that it's a rather special thing I can do because I'm from far away, and that's also why I'm bad at Sea Speak." She soon is grinning like an idiot when it becomes fairly clear that Tama has finally clued into the fact that the 'girly buck' he just spoke of, is the one he's speaking to, and it is taking all her willpower to not burst out laughing. Eventually, she manages to find the ability to speak again, only letting slip a few small giggles. "I'll see you soon, Tama."

The silence persists for a moment even after Nina offers a farewell. When a voice does speak up, it sounds almost shy, perhaps from embarrassment, as a strong contrast to how outgoing and social he seemed to be back at the beach when Nina appeared. "Oh..."

''"Oog hua ee op, ee gooh noa gao. Ee op hua dahou bom?"''

''"Um... come again? That some sort of sea creature language here?"''

''"Yeah, that's- That's exactly what it is."''

"Nina? Tell Mister Louis that I'll call his office tomorrow. It's awesome hearing from you again. And tell him thank you for the opportunity. And- And tell Mister Louis that I'm sorry. And, uh, tell him that he really isn't that girly. It was a mean thing to say. I think it was just because of the sweater. And- Nevermind. I'm going now. I'm going to hang up. Sorry! Uh, ooe gau! Heh- Heheh. That was me saying- Oop!" There's a clatter as if something was dropped and then the line cuts off.

Louis stands there, speechless.

Nina just blinks a bit, then finally bursts out laughing for a moment before getting control of herself again. "Well, that was the most amusing and awkward phone call I've been involved in for... as long as I can remember. So, I guess you'll let me know when and where to meet up with Tama again? Anything I should be aware of before I start meeting with him?"

"Yes. Well, now that we have that out of the way, we can discuss a few other details over the rest of the tea. You seem very mature for your age so I won't presume to insult your intelligence with meaningless caution. I'd like to know a bit more about you, for what you care to share, including if you had any preference for a planned major for high school, along with any extracurricular hobbies you may have." There is a heavy sigh, but the deer manages a smile perhaps due to Nina's amusement over the call. Louis reaches out a hand in offer to take the phone back. "Apologies. That was very unprofessional of me. If, after we finish the tea, you'd like to have a walk around the estate I'm sure Miguel wouldn't mind showing you around, but I will need to finish some of my own studies before dinner is prepared."

"I'll also need your phone number, at the least."

Nina had thought about that some already, but being asked point-blank now she does ponder a bit more, wanting to give a more thought out answer since this is going to go a long way toward determining her future, and she is on her own more or less, can't rely on her father to bail her out if things turn out poorly for her.

She decides to start with her interests. "Well, I love swimming and collecting interesting things along the beach and under the surface, but I'm sure you would have guessed at least the first half of that one... I also like singing, reading fantasy, and theater. I had a pretty big presence on social media and did a lot of videos about various products, so I thought maybe I could major in marketing or something like that?"

"Excellent. You'll find no lack of clubs and subjects that cater to the literary of mind. Most every high school has a newspaper club, for example, that could benefit from somebody with social media experience, since newspaper club usually doubles as a school public representation. Not every high school has a drama club, but a number do, so you'd be able to apply yourself to theater in that way."

The deer stares down into the reflection of his face in the tea in his held cup. "Swimming is a bit more difficult to pair with. Some schools may have a swimming club, but it tends to be specialized for the animals that attend. If swimming is a priority, it'll narrow your options by quite a bit."

After taking a sip of his tea, Louis lifts his gaze to peer at the study room's wallpaper in thought. The patterns are swirling and organic, yet not too busy; a brown on beige that matches the aesthetic of a place to do paperwork and scholastics. "A degree in marketing would be useful to have. Some animal is always trying to sell something to another." Louis rests his teacup upon his saucer and the saucer upon his thigh. "Would you care for a school with Carnivore students or Herbivore students? Most are either fully segregated or one over the other. Some have partial segregation, though, which would have you studying alongside both Carnivores and Herbivores on a daily basis."

Nina smiles as Louis seems to like her answers for the most part, though at the talk of swimming being a priority and narrowing her options, she shakes her head. "I'm certainly not set on becoming a professional swimmer or something like that. I mean, that might be cool honestly, but if that is going to limit me, I can go for other things and just keep swimming as a fun hobby I do at the beach on my own or with friends... assuming the school I go to is close enough to the beach, though I guess a good lake or swimming pool would do also if the ocean isn't an option. Anyway, I'm more than fine pursuing my other interests if they are more academically viable here." She answers before giving a pause as she thinks about his last question, she wasn't expecting it and it threw her a bit.

"I didn't know schools here were segregated, they aren't where I come from, but I guess since most of us stay in our non-beast form most of the time that's why, even so, I could see how it would make things a bit... safer, not that some herbivores can't cause some havoc if they get really worked up. I do eat a lot of fish, but I also eat some meat, along with fruits and vegetables, not sure how diet works into this question, so just putting that out there. But I guess I don't really mind if I'm in a school that has just herbivores, just carnivores, or some of both. I just want to go somewhere I can learn, be guided into having a better life here, and also make some friends and have fun along the way."

The buck seems to grimace internally, briefly. "Yes. While the working adult world here has Herbivores and Carnivores side by side most of the time, most schools like to provide a sense of safety to those who attend. Carnivores, for example, are typically far stronger than most Herbivores and accidents can happen. Thankfully, our medical science allows easy restoration of lost limbs." There's a pause as Louis studies the younger girl.

"Well, I'll take your answers into consideration, make a few calls, and see what I can manage. The only real questions remaining concern a way for you to get around school in your preferred, uh... Form. -and what you might consider reasonable accommodation for staying hydrated. As I've come to understand it, most dolphins, like most Sea Animals, go dry when left out of the water for too long."

Nina nods. "That makes sense, I'm really on the smaller and weaker side where I come from, even accounting for age... so I can understand how young herbivores might feel, I guess... As for getting around, maybe a wheelchair? That's the only idea I've got, though might need to be one of those powered ones which are kind of expensive... But I don't know that I'd last long pushing the wheels with flipper hands." She looks at her hands a bit and shakes her head before looking back toward Louis.

"The hydration point is a good one too. If I'm going to be staying in my 'preferred form' all the time, I'm going to need to go swimming, or take a long shower or bath, twice a day, and probably also drink a lot of water. If I don't, my skin will get itchy, and might eventually get a rash. There might be other complications too, I haven't really stayed in dolphin form out of the water for that long before."

"Well, not all high schools have shower accommodations for students outside of gymnastic changing rooms, although that would be an option. Most high schools will also have a commute there from and back to home, of course." Louis decides to move back over to his desk where he places the cup and saucer, moves around it, and opens up a laptop computer where he can type something in.

"Honestly, as I expected, it sounds to me like you need in-school amenities as well as boarding. As I had mentioned, there's one place in particular where I could get you enrolled pending a talk with the Headmaster, which would include sorting the matter of scholarships to pay for your stay and education. As an alumnus, I may be biased." The deer hits the enter key before turning the laptop about to display the screen to Nina. The header clearly states: Cherryton Academy. The backdrop for the page shows a slideshow of pictures taken of the buildings and the campus. It's very sizable.

"This academy is one with a lot of prestige, however, so I wouldn't expect your enrollment there to come without some media coverage. You should keep that in mind."

Nina finishes her tea, then nods in agreement, with a brief pondering expression as she wonders if she forgot to mention to Louis that she doesn't currently have a place to live, so of course, boarding would be most helpful indeed. She listens as he recounts what it will take for her to be enrolled there, and the fact that it's likely to be a newsworthy event, as she looks at the pictures on the computer.

"Sounds great, I'm certainly not going to be camera shy, don't worry about that. Is there anything you need me to do?" She asks curiously as she leans back in her chair and casually shifts into her dolphin form

"Other than giving me your telephone number, not right now, though there will be things later. Once your tutor is set up with payroll tomorrow, you'll be informed of how you two can get in touch and deal with scheduling. Learning Sea Speak is a bit of a priority, not just for this subterfuge, but for your own use in communicating with other Sea Animals." Louis reaches around the laptop to give a key a tap and it pulls up another tab entirely.

"You might also consider making a Beastbook account, if you haven't yet. While your social media postings won't necessarily affect your academic enrollment, that won't stop teachers, staff, or students from checking your page out. Use that to your benefit. As you may well know: never post anything you don't want every animal to see."

Louis sighs, though. "I admit that I don't like the idea of hiding your nature from those you'll be learning alongside, but understand that it will be an easier acceptance. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Nina suddenly looks excited about the idea of meeting and being able to talk to the sea animals of this place in a whole new language that was unique to them, so much so that she almost forgets that Louis asked for her number, but she does write it down along with her name once she's come back down to earth.

"I will certainly get to making an account on Beastbook and making it awesome, and I do want this, though I won't lie that I wish it didn't have to be this way, I am admittedly a little worried I'll get excited or surprised and accidentally shift back in front of half the school, because that's the way stuff like this always happens on TV." She says with a nervous laugh.

"Considering how allowing a Sea Animal to attend Land Animal schooling in order to join our society is setting a new precedent, you should be more careful with your words or you might get exactly what you ask for." Louis takes a moment to rub at his face. "Perhaps that was a bit too insensitive." He turns to gather his tea-things before walking over to place them on the cart.

"What's left to do are things I'll have to do tomorrow. For now, I need to finish my studies before dinner is ready. If you'd like to take a tour of the grounds, I'm sure Miguel wouldn't mind the distraction. Otherwise, there is a recreational room with a television if you'd like to simply relax. The choice is yours." Placing one hand on the desk, the deer leans onto his right leg and slips his left hand into the pocket of his slacks while wearing the softest of smiles. If a phrase had to sum up the expression, it would be 'business casual'.

Nina frowns and shakes her head, looking a bit angry at the remark Louis made but she does her best to let it slide, especially as he sort of apologizes. "I'm not asking for that at all, sorry if I maybe made light of the situation there, but I realize this is a big thing for sea animals here, and this is also a big step for me, and I have no family or anything to fall back on, forgive me for being a little nervous about screwing this up..." She shifts back to her human form and stands up. "A tour might be nice before dinner, I think I need some fresh air anyway."

"Of course." Louis raises his voice, "Miguel, you can stop silently laughing about the 'girly buck' remark and come collect our guest." To Nina, the young adult deer adds, "You've certainly made an impression with them, you know. Cats will fancy anything unique, but lions can be terribly lazy, so when they react with as much enthusiasm as they've shown after your 'trick' at the bakery it would be wise to take advantage of it."

Louis doesn't get to explain further. The door opens. "Sure thing, boss."

Nina may or may not be picking up on similar reflections of home, especially in the manner of which the lions seem to act or speak around and to Louis the Red Deer.

|}}

2022-03-29 - Birthday Surprises (Epilogue)

2022-08-23T05:39:28Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Birthday Surprises (Epilogue) |Summary=Lillia the Fawn and Mogwin the Moogle help escort Louis the Red Deer home after a confusing encounter. |Who=Amaryl..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Birthday Surprises (Epilogue)
|Summary=Lillia the Fawn and Mogwin the Moogle help escort Louis the Red Deer home after a confusing encounter.
|Who=[[Amaryllis]], [[Louis]], [[Mogwin]]
|Date=March 29th, 2022
|Where=Travel by Portal and Boat
|Log=

The very naked Louis found respite with the help of Lillia the Fawn and Mogwin the Moogle. They were able to explain to the nearby village, with some fabrication on Louis' behalf, that the deer had been cursed and that the two magical adventurers had managed to break the curse; The Beast would trouble the villagers no longer. In thanks, as a token, the deer was given some spare old clothing to help him on his way. The makeshift fake leg that Louis fashioned from vines and wood wouldn't last. Instead, a good sturdy limb from a tree with just the right length and shape served as a crutch.

Magical teleportation is a valid way to get around, although the schools of magic and the magical foci vary. As it turns out, an elder wizard from a local trade community had the best offer they were likely to find: an inexpensive teleport to an island off the Senta mainland in exchange for a small piece of the end of one of Louis' antlers. The island was used for trade, mostly, but the travel fee was also promised to cover a trip from the island. However, the island was too small for an airport. The only option: a three hour trip by boat.

The ocean is calm, at least, so there's little bobbing or swaying. The ship is medium-sized, mostly used for hauling cargo, and the minimal crew doesn't seem interested in bothering their passengers as long as they stay out of the way. Engine speed is steady. Land is almost clearly visible in the distance. Louis sits on a crate on the deck, leaning against the railing, peering out at the water. There are so many questions he has in his head for which he may never get answers. Lifting his head from his crossed arms, he glances over toward the pair that seemed content to see him safely home. The tiniest smile curls the corners of his mouth. "I must really be a pitiable sight..."

Mogwin was happy to pay for the fee, no need for Louis to break his horns just for this. He still had some coin from... back home and a few valuables, it wasn't that expensive!. He also gets some bread and snacks... he assumes the Deer might prefer the bread and perhaps an apple?... he figures Louis needs... something in his belly after this ordeal. (That and he was also hungry, so he enjoys something to eat too) he even shares with Amaryllis!, while inwardly hoping no one is upset about it.

The Moogle seems quite impressed by the ship, perhaps he never been on a boat before?, and seems glad that the poor lost deer is doing so well, moving to sit besides him. "I've seen worse... been in worse situations myself... I am just glad we found you when we did, Kupo." he offers softly. "You are quite the tough person to have survived like that... magic tree or not."

Lillia was quite happy that things worked out in the end and they were able to save the 'beast of the forest', especially when it turned out to be a deer she knew and had grown to like over their interactions in Denko. This ended up being her first time ever riding on a boat though, so the fawn was a little distracted for a bit, looking over the side at the water below, and the view all around. It was quite the experience, but being her first time she was also nervous. Holding an apple she's taken a couple of bites out of she looks back to Louis and Mogwin. "I'm glad you're OK too, but, are we sure this boat is going to stay floating? I mean, I can swim, but we're a long way from land now..."

The deer accepts an apple. He has to be careful with most breads as any that use eggs can cause unpleasant indigestion issues for him. Holding the fruit in his hands, thumbs rubbing against the naturally glossy surface, the one and a half-legged buck sighs. "Hm? Oh, the boat will be fine. Even if something did happen, they have inflatable rafts. I suppose I understand your trepidation, though. Stepping through magical holes to wind up somewhere else is still pretty new to me. Though...it was very similar to how I wound up where I did. And maybe even 'when' I did and I don't even know if that's normal."

Louis takes a bite of the apple and chews slowly. "In all of this, I guess I haven't thanked you two properly. My memory of what happened is full of holes."

Mogwin flutters around to look at the boat, "IT seems pretty safe, don't worry Lillia." he says, trying to reassure the Doe, "I mean... I understand how you feel, felt the same way on an airship, and i can fly... kinda..." he says, rubbing the back of his head, "But, we are all safe now, this is a good boat.". The thanks from Louis gets a grin from him, "Kupo, please, don't mention it, that's what I do, help people if they are in trouble.". There is a pause, "I am just glad it turned out the way it did.... I do wonder how you... went back in time?" he muses, letting out a soft Kupo. "That doesn't sound normal."

Lillia nods, accepting the reassurance from both Louis and Mogwin, though the thought of being on an airship that could fall out of the sky brings a nervous shiver that flows through her ending with a twitch of her tail. She tries to push these thoughts from her mind as she eats more of her apple and listens to Louis talk about what happened. "Well you've helped me a lot, so I guess this time I got to help you instead, isn't that what friends do?" She asks with a smile. "But you say you've had something like this happen before? I wonder where this magical hole came from, what caused it? Hmm... I'm afraid I don't know much about that kind of magic."

Louis' hand droops while his fingers continue to cling to the apple. "It's not the kind of stuff you'll find in my homeland. We have, ah... Well, different types of animals can have different things about them that make them unique and can be very different. Lions are pretty good at predicting their own deaths- Mmh." That's a tender subject, so Louis quickly moves on to another example, "Whereas many spotted cats have shifting spots on their pelt under different conditions. That is to say, we have our share of mysticism that has been a part of our known history since the Great War. But teleporting and, well, whatever the hell it was that happened to me? No. That doesn't happen."

An ear flicks at an errant thought and the buck lifts his hand to take another bite of apple while peering out at the sea. There ''is'' land in the distance, but it's still a way to go to get there. "I wonder if we're close enough for phones to have a connection. Maybe the captain has one I can borrow."

Mogwin now feels bad for scaring Lillia, and sits down, eating more of his own fruit as he considers what else to say. At least Louis offers a good distraction of the topic, "It's not something I know about either... maybe if I was able to talk with a Time mage, they might get a better idea of this... but even then, traveling several days in time... and that far?" he muses. "Sounds so odd.". There is another pause as he considers, "Perhaps a passenger has one of those devices... they seem very handy."

Lillia nods again, remembering Louis telling her some about the sorts of 'magic' that are known in his world. "Right, this sort of magic I think would be more commonplace here, but I don't think I've encountered anything quite like it either... But I guess I didn't leave my grove till recently, maybe it's just fairly uncommon, well, hopefully, it is actually considering how much trouble it caused." She voices her consideration on the matter, then smiles at the asking about a phone. "Maybe, I don't have mine on me, think I lost it..."

"I lost mine, too. I really need to see if I can call ahead, have Free bring a car, maybe some clothes." And a leg. The deer exhales and shifts in place where he sits to have a look down the deck toward the bridge. He doesn't readily see anybody else. Putting the apple to his mouth, he grips it with his teeth and reaches over to pull his makeshift crutch closer before going about the process of standing up. Once he gets situated and mostly balanced (again thankful the water is calm), Louis pulls the apple from his mouth with his right hand with the limb now, possibly counter-intuitively, supporting his left side and left leg.

"One life crisis at a time. So, Lillia, you told Agata and I about your tree. Was it anything like the tree from the forest where you two found me?" A glance is given to Mogwin, too. Louis isn't quite sure what to make of moogles. They remind him of Hybrids from home, like a bat and a mole mix.

Mogwin remains close to Louis of course, ready to help, after finishing his own snack. "Wish i knew more about this stuff... I only know about my own... specialty, which is not nearly related to this... crisis." he says, looking aside and glancing to the approaching island, this was the farthest he ever moved since landing here, so it was all new.

"Yes, that would be helpful, would save us a lot of walking." Lillia agrees, she didn't mind the walk, but Louis would likely struggle with it without a new artificial leg, unless he rode on her back, which was a rather embarrassing prospect she'd prefer to avoid outside of an emergency. Thankfully Louis' question about the tree distracts her from the thought and she nods. "A little, seemed to be even older, which is saying something since I think Mother Tree has been around for quite a long time, even since she grew from a piece of an even older and bigger tree that was destroyed. I've never seen her take a spirit form like that, or known her to use her strength to save someone else, though she is barely keeping alive as it is these days..." She says with a deep frown, pausing a moment before continuing on. "In the past though I have seen her in my dreams, and it did feel sort of like talking to the tree spirit we met when we found you." She certainly agrees with Mogwin about wising she knew more about other sorts of magic and things.

Each step is a careful process involving a steady left foot, a well-tested placement of his crutch, and a quick lean-heavy hop forward. It makes Louis very slow to move anywhere at all, but he's stubborn enough to insist he do it on his own. Dressed in clothing that may as well be rags gifted as a reward from poor villagers while still very much needing a bath to rinse away the dirt and dried blood, it's no wonder why he feels he must look just awful. Still, he's on a mission now to track down somebody that has a phone.

"Hmm, I see... Well, I'm sure there's a way to figure out how to save your mother, tree or otherwise. Just, uh...one step at a time. Mmh. So, have you two known one another for a while or did you just meet? Seems the world has plenty more animals to meet other than the many apes of the mainland. It's refreshing." The island ahead may be an island, but it's also large enough for a sizable country, from mountains to ocean shore and everything in-between.

Mogwin was certainly an oddity, and something that others might indeed call an hybrid, but he doesn't consider him an animal, it is more of a special case, not that he corrects Louis. The bat winged thing hovers closer to the two deers. "Just recently, I... am also quite new to here... unlike you, I don't think returning back home might be... as easy as calling someone and traveling there." he says, letting out a little sigh. "Not that I hate it here, it is certainly a very interesting place."

Lillia smiles as Louis assures there that there must be a way they can figure out to save her tree. "I hope so, makes me very sad to see her in the state she's in now. I hope one day soon you both can see her full of life again, with branches full of beautiful dream blossoms!" She exclaims with hope, and after watching Louis struggle would certainly try to help before he declines the offer. If he didn't want help she would not be the one to force it on him. "I like it here too, was pretty scary at first, and sometimes still is, but there are lots of good people to meet and amazing places to visit that I'd have never seen if I stayed in the forest. Sure seeing people in places through other's dreams is nice, but in person is better."

"Not the first I've heard to become lost. I realize I'm out of touch with the world, but I have my hands full with domestic matters." Lillia has at least some understanding of what Louis does for a living, although she's never seen him at university. Step-shuffle-hop. Settling in against the metal frame near a door, Louis lifts a hand full of apple and gives the door a few quick raps with his knuckles. "I wish I could give you advice or pointers on seeing my hometown for the first time, much less the nation and its natural beauty," if you can overlook the lingering destruction from the Great War still present all over. "Just try to understand that most animals of my home are pretty cold at the idea of meeting strangers, even if they tell you different to your face."

Mogwin turns to Lillia, "Seeing into people's dreams sounds like an interesting ability, but might also end up in lots of weird dreams." he chuckles, before turning back to poor Louis, "I think I'd like to visit your home, if you think I might be welcome there, I realize I might be a bit odd." he says, fluttering until he is standing by the door. "And I'd love to see your own hometown as well Lillia, both sound very interesting."

"When I first went to Louis' hometown, people did look at me strangely, and well, they still do sometimes, but for the most part they seem to be kind even if they probably do think I'm odd and just don't want to say it to my face." Lillia comments with a nod before adding. "I guess you'll can see it some by the fact that we're taking Louis home, and I can also show you my home grove sometime, though it isn't in the best shape currently with Mother Tree being so sick." Also, maybe she can get a new phone...

After a short wait, the door opens and an older looking human fellow peeks out. When he sees it's passengers, he looks mildly annoyed yet still asks, "D'you need something? We're about a half hour from making land at, uh, the International Port of Denko, I think it was." Louis may be shorter than this man, but his stare is remarkably intense.

"We should be nearing close enough for phone service, but mine was lost. I really need to make a call to have some people be there to meet me when we arrive."

The man seems to give the buck a full looking over. "Look, I don't let ''anybody'' use my phone. Don't take it personally, but that's how it is."

"Is that so?" asks Louis with indignation surfacing on his features. He can read between the lines just fine.

"Yes, that 'is so'. I'm sure the people at the docks can help you out, if that's what you want to call them." The man offers a shrug. It likely wasn't meant as an insult. 'People' tends to be a more human-centric term. The people of Louis' home nation call themselves 'animals', as they are. As even humans are. This does not stop the buck from lifting his brow while leaning his head forward an inch.

"I'll have you know that I'm Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate." His voice is as cold as ice, unwavering, and stern with an underlying edge of barely-contained anger. "My company likely owns the section of port you aim to dock in, much less the one in control of many of the tariffs placed on import goods -- ''which you specialize in'' -- so if you're going to say no, say no because you think I'm a dingy yen-less street urchin trying to scam personal info off your phone with the pretense of needing to make a call instead of acting like you have some neutral blanket reasoning. So, fine, keep your phone privilege to yourself. I'll just have to make a call when I arrive, although I suppose I should decide if the first one is to Horns Conglomerate or the Port Operations Dockmaster."

So, that escalated quickly. Awkward is the silence from the man that follows.

The Moogle moves closer to Lillia, listening to the stories about the town, "So it is a town without... humans? all animals?" he asks, "Never seen one like that, back at home humans are pretty much everywhere." he replies, "Eager to see how it looks." he admits, before letting a soft kupo at the mention of mother tree. "I wish I would help.". The rude interlude of the rude captain, and the retort from his friend. The Moogle just looks at Louis with a bit of awe, that was more than a bit scary.

That indeed escalated quickly. Lillia felt Louis' request was a pretty simple one and didn't see why this man was making such a big deal about letting someone use his phone to make a call for having someone pick him up at the docks. The way Louis responds though makes her glad he's her friend as clearly he isn't afraid of confrontation and has power in certain places that she could only begin to imagine about knowing next to nothing about business. "Well, he's certainly a nice fellow. I have half a mind to hang around and give him some nightmares when he sleeps next." She says, with the last part being quiet as she doesn't want that idle threat to be overheard.

The Moogle inches just a bit away from the deer, and now rests by Lillia's side, blinking a few times, "Perhaps I should make sure not to make him mad at me." he says softly, the pom on his head twitching and bouncing as he turned to look between the two. He chuckles faintly at the threat, "Oh come on, perhaps he wasn't nice but that feels a bit excessive." he teases his friend. "He seems quite important."

"Uh huh," is all the man says at first with a shake of his head. "You call whoever you want when we get there. Even if you are who you say you are, that means little to me. Just tells me the CEO of Horns Conglomerate is simply a spoiled brat." The man begins to shut the door to the ship's bridge as Louis raises his voice.

"Mother-" Click. "Fucker!"

The deer leans heavily against the metal wall to his side, closing his eyes and exhaling, before giving the wall one good solid punch. This dislodges the apple from his grip; the buck tries to snatch it again before it falls, but the quick movement only succeeds in having him lose grip on the makeshift crutch. The branch falls over, too. In that moment, all of the tiredness he showed before comes back. He's clearly trying to be strong, but...

Supporting himself against the wall, he begins kneeling; he might need help, after all. "Seems discrimination is everywhere, huh?" he asks of the fawn and moogle. Louis exhales the word "...douchebag."

|}}

2022-08-21 - Oh Deer, A Surprise Announcement

2022-08-22T03:49:29Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Oh Deer, a Surprise Announcement |Summary=Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate, has called an emergency press conference in order to announce the..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Oh Deer, a Surprise Announcement
|Summary=Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate, has called an emergency press conference in order to announce the company's latest steps toward animal coexistence.
|Who=[[Louis]]
|Date=August 21st, 2022
|Where=Horns CGL HQ, globally accessible broadcast
|Log=

All cameras focus on the CEO of Horns Conglomerate as he walks onto the stage and takes the podium. Flashes of photography go off one after another as animals scramble to find the perfect shots in coverage of a sudden important announcement. Dressed to the nines in his sleek well-tailored black suit, fur groomed expertly, the unforgettable face of Safari Magazine addresses those present along with those watching with a professional smile.

"Thank you all for gathering on such short notice. I assure you that what I have to say is of the utmost importance. While some would have preferred this announcement to wait to coincide with annual fiscal evaluations as a measure of stock investment precaution, I believe that it benefits us all to put to light the latest in our efforts to embrace Herbivore, Carnivore, Hybrid, and Sea Animal coexistence."

"As you are all no doubt aware, Horns Conglomerate has taken steps in the direction of Togetherness by casting aside the stone-set tradition of only employing Herbivores. We have since cemented beneficial partnerships with Carnivore companies and institutions that have allowed great social and medical advancements." Louis gestures to the stoic stags and vigilant lions standing just off to each side. "In fact, my personal assistants are Herbivores and Carnivores and I trust each and every one with my life. Trust isn't easy, it's true, but it's also hard to allow second chances. These lions you see standing up here are all ex-convicts, yet Horns Conglomerate stands tall in its position of granting second chances, of granting opportunities to build trust, of allowing others that desire it the means in which to better themselves and, in turn, those they live and work around."

"Setting an example is great, but it would be selfish of me and my company to sit upon these examples and not act upon them. Such things would be reduced to lesser than they are. They would be nothing more than status symbols establishing a false ideal, much like the vaunted position and title of Beastar and those hoisted upon that titular pedestal that we have been devoid of since the noble Yahya stepped down and entered retirement. Status symbols. False ideals. These help no animal."

"As such, Horns Conglomerate has partnered with investors interested in a better tomorrow today in providing funding for educational scholarships in addition to a vocational education and training program to be honored by a number of schools and academies and universities across the nation. But for whom, you may ask, are these opportunities presented? We are delighted to tell you that these opportunities are available for minors of low-income Herbivore and Carnivore families with an emphasis on those of Hybrid lineage."

Louis raises a finger in emphasis, "Furthermore, in the extension of cultural sharing and in the interest of welcoming our Sea Animal Neighbors that are working hard to integrate slowly into our society while teaching us so much more about ourselves through their own views of life, scholarships will be made available to those Seas able to function among their Land Animal cousins with reasonable assistance and grants will be given to select schools and universities in order to cover the costs of these aquatic amenities. We at Horns Conglomerate will not shirk our duty in paving the way for cultural sharing that increases the quality of life and understanding for every animal."

"Lastly, in reflection to the difficulty in offering second chances, these scholarships and grants will be extended to both juveniles and adults that are ex-convicts in order to help them help us all come together and move forward pending psychological evaluation. Those whose convictions are marked during juvenile age may be able to re-attend school while grants are in place to provide medical and security coverage for their scholastic enrollment. Those who have recorded convictions as adults may be eligible for attendance to our new and upcoming vocational education and training program that will allow job skills and knowledge to be made available for those willing to contribute by showing the world they ''can''. They ''can'' do the job! They ''can'' be positive forces! They ''can'' shine as role models for others also desiring second chances!"

Louis closes his eyes and lowers his head while wearing a comfortable smile. He visibly takes a deep breath before opening his eyes to stare out at the gathered press. His pause is noted. When he speaks again, his voice is calm and well-measured. "These options will become available for application within the week, but '''now''' is the time to embrace our peers, no matter their bloodline or heritage or the mistakes they have made, as we all become Animals United for the betterment of our combined lives and the future lives of our children and our children's children. This choice and responsibility may begin with us at Horns Conglomerate, but the choice and responsibility is now passed along to you. We believe in you."

"'''''I''''' believe in you. Thank you for your time."

The press erupts into a barrage of questions as the deer turns to walk away while one of the stags, a deer named Hartsford, takes the place at the podium to handle the media with prepared answers.

|}}

2022-03-29 - Birthday Surprises

2022-04-03T20:01:42Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Birthday Surprises |Summary=Louis the Red Deer encounters a surprise celebration for his birthday while Lillia Amaryllis and Mogwin investigate troubling r..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Birthday Surprises
|Summary=Louis the Red Deer encounters a surprise celebration for his birthday while Lillia Amaryllis and Mogwin investigate troubling rumors of a terrible beast a continent away.
|Who=[[Amaryllis]], [[Louis]], [[Mogwin]]
|Date=March 29th, 2022
|Where=Horns Conglomerate Head Office, Senta; A Fae-Enchanted Forest, Distant Oceans
|Log=

"Happy Birthday, Boss!"

The room is a grand showing of party decorations filled with loyal employees both leonine and otherwise. Happy faces, every one. The young buck stops in his tracks as the surprise is revealed. He had spent the past six hours riding in a car around the local districts to handle in-person business and now this is sprung on him suddenly.

Louis smiles. It's a soft gesture, yet genuine. "That's all very kind of you. That's a very nice looking salad cake."

Most Herbivores from this land are unable to really digest other animal proteins. As such, even grain-heavy things like cakes and breads have to be made without eggs. Decorations and icing are usually fruit or vegetable based. It may seem odd to some, but it's very pleasing to the Herbivore palate. 'Happy Birthday to You, Louis the Red Deer' is written atop. No candles.

"Hartsford, how would you like to do the honors in cutting everybody gathered a slice of cake while I go freshen up after my trip?" offers Louis. That's a polite way of insisting 'I need to pee' and the larger stag gets the message.

"Absolutely, Mister Louis." Hartsford turns away. "Who wants the first corner piece?" The animals cluster and Louis excuses himself on the short trip to the bathroom. Free tags along.

"I'm not going to be assaulted in the office hallway. don't tell me you're going to help me aim."

The pompadour-styled lion laughs at this with a dirty sneer. "Not a chance, Louis. Just need to ask you something away from the others when you're done." Free pauses on the other side of the hallway, leans against the wall, and crosses his arms.

Louis pauses in the doorway, door pushed half-open, and looks over his shoulder. "If you time me, I'm going to cut your pay."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Boss." The lion watches as the door closes before his phone rings.

----

Elsewhere, on the Eastern Continent of Distant Oceans:

It's been at least a week since The Beast showed up in the nearby woods. The local village already shares whispers about the great monster that inhabits the forest now and how it chases away all of their hunters and releases caught animals from their traps. The local fae have little to say and the Guardian of the Wood, the spirit of the oldest tree, hasn't been heard from at all. The villagers are fairly poor and have little to offer outside help aside from some goods for trade, but the need for help travels nonetheless. They depend on what game they can manage from the magical forest and as long as they don't take too much, the Guardian doesn't see fit to retaliate. It's never been peaceful. There are always magical creatures that are wont to attack when encountered, but this has been too much for people to handle.

Among the six major straw-roofed houses of the village, people mill around. Housewives linger near the well to gossip and the working folk do what chores they can, but everybody is worried and they don't have much food stored away after the winter.

In her travels back home to the Garden of Dreaming deep within the forest, Lillia has heard of the plight of the people caused by this new beast of the forest. On one hand, she understands that the people of the village need to eat, and unlike her, they can't live on just nuts, berries, and fruit though she doesn't exactly understand the intricacies of why. On the other hand, she's been shot at before by hunters who hadn't cared or gotten a good enough look at her to realize she was more than just a common feral deer, so she felt for both sides of this conflict. She decides to visit and see if there is any way she can help resolve this situation peacefully, but isn't exactly sure who best to talk to, so she just starts questioning any villagers that will speak with her.

The moogle had a surprisingly easy time adapting to this world, it was rather similar to his own home in many aspects!. Of course Mogwin decided to make his way to the village the moment he heard of the village facing such a terrible situation!, he was a hero, wanting to forge a name for himself, prove his worth!, and the fact there was little potential for a reward meant nothing for the adventurous small creature!.

It might take him a bit of time to find the village, but eventually, the bat winged critter is fluttering down the streets, trying to approach calmly to the villagers, needing details about exactly what is going on!. Anyone seen the beast?, which areas were the traps tampered with!. In the midst of such questioning, he stumbles with a familiar Doe, and decides to approach her, "Hi!, we meet again!"

The details are sparse. Those that talk mention tales of The Beast, but there haven't been many personal sightings. In fact, only one name seems to pop up regarding having personally seen the creature: Marcus. Marcus seems to be one of the village's best hunters and it's his traps that have been tampered with ceaselessly. Marcus, however, doesn't seem to be around. One of the womenfolk mentions to the fawn the same as a young boy tells the moogle: Marcus has a brother, Abashire, and Abashire is what passes for the village's blacksmith. He was last seen tending to one of the farmer's plowing horses after it threw a shoe.

The village doesn't own many horses, so the main stable is pretty easy to find, whether by sight or smell, as a relatively young man with lots of wear on his face and hands tends to a horse's foot after some coaxing to get her to lift that leg. There's no immediate sense of hurry; it's a job that takes some time to deal with. Thankfully, unlike in some places, these people are familiar with creatures of all sorts. Neither Lillia or Mogwin attract discriminating stares, though some folks DO stare anyway even if just out of curiosity or boredom.

Lillia smiles as she spots the familiar Moogle and offers a friendly wave. "Yes, hello. I assume we're here for the same reason? Why don't we split up and see if we can find out what's going on." She offers as an idea, and when eventually both are drawn to the stables, Lillia indeed had been able to smell it as soon as she entered the village, she looks to see if Mogwin has come to a similar conclusion waving him over if not. She then makes her way over to the blacksmith who is working with the horse and is too shy to interrupt as she looks at Mogwin. "Should we wait till he's done?"

Mogwin flutters around casually, perhaps finding it easier than walking, or simply trying to show off a bit. He greets Lillia with a bright grin, "Kupo!, nice to see you again my dear lady." he offers politely, bowing midair, red pom bouncing lightly before he nods to her suggestion, "I admit I am not hearing much... information" he admits, "Sounds like a good plan.". Indeed, Mogwin's road also leads to the... 'blacksmith' and almost bumps into his deer friend. "Might be for the best, he might be upset if we interrupt, and refuse to talk.". The little guy smiles and waves to any person staring.

A rather large coarse file is used on the underside of the hoof to remove some burrs. The mare seems to be a little spooked at Mogwin and jitters a bit in place. The man complains at this. "Ahh, ye bleedin' wayward nag. Stand stih fer'I, come a'lil worth more'an'ee. I've not e'en begun," he mutters aloud with a thick accent. "Gods preserve us, May Anne, shoes may'aswell be may'o gold less iron o' steel. Not what Geoe wants sown o'er i'that crop bed o'is."

With an exasperated sigh, the blacksmith is forced to let the nag put her leg down. He sits up and glances over at the strange pair. "Aye? You need something from ol' Abby. I figure you're here on account o'the Beast keeping honest folk like us from eating." The fellow pulls out a rag and begins to wipe his heavily callused hands that are decorated with a few cuts and scratches. Abashire sighs again as he looks between the fawn and moogle. "Well, I'll tell ye the same thing I done told others what came sniffing about o'er it. Me brother and two o'the sturdiest young men o'our village took up arms to go hunting it. The Beast, that is. Left early in the morn, haven'ta heard anything since. I'd go search meself, but I have too many chores to do. South, I reckon, into the wood. Follow the hunter's marks -- they be like chips in the trees, some o'the time bearing colors of red or orange -- if ye want to give chase."

Abby shakes his head and looks back to the old mare. "Solid warning. That Beast be willing to attack regular folk and magical folk alike. If ye find anything, lemme know, aye?"

"Thanks a lot, we'll be careful and let you know if we find anything out or course." Lillia says with a nod, then tries to be helpful and uses just a tiny bit of her dream dust magic to make the mare a touch drowsy in the hopes of making her calm enough that Abby can do his job of replacing that shoe to protect the mare's hoof. Finally, she turns back to Mogwin, looking serious. "Well, guess I should have figured this might get dangerous. We should tread carefully, but the sooner we head out the sooner we can maybe find the beast and what happened to the hunters that went after it."
The moogle tries to be a polite as he can, and seeing the equine scared, flutters slowly backwards, trying to not provoke the old hag more. "I was curious, is it only traps that get... attacked?" he asks almost at hte same time as Abby, pausing to let her speak. "Don't worry, I will keep you safe." says Mogwin, grabbing his rapier and doing a quick flourish before sheathing it again. "Can you give us indications of where your brother was going?"

"A few have seen it. The Beast. People are afeared'a speak about it, even by name. We don't want it coming into the village, so we tries not to bring attention to it by speaking o'it. It tried hurting me brother, says he, from the way o'he tells it. Tall as a house, even. Jagged teeth and eyes what could pierce a man's soul." The nag seems to relax, although the cause is lost upon Abashire. He simply takes up position, gives the horse's leg a pat, and goes back to lifting it once more. "Hunting grounds are south, as I says. Can't miss the path. Marcus says it weren't but a quarter roadstone deep when he first sawr it. Really hope it stays away, but we'll start starving afore long. We haves children to feed, aye?"

The path south out of the village is unassuming. It's just a simple trail that leads off into the treeline of the woods, although it disappears not too far in. The lower levels of light helps to obscure much of what's within, though there's nothing that seems particularly hazardous of note if entered. There is movement to be had in the corners of vision as faeries peek before ducking into hiding before they can be fully seen. Some large insects buzz or flutter around, particularly a bit higher up, but those insects seem particularly uninterested in who wanders the wood.

Lillia nods and starts heading down the trail, clutching her branch tightly. She was used to various magical creatures watching and even playing tricks on her as she moves through the enchanted forest she calls home, and the more dangerous beasts she's always been able to outrun, but this new beast might be something entirely new, so there was cause for concern. Hopefully between herself and Mogwin they'd be able to handle it, whatever it was. "Wonder if the hunting party has found the beast yet... Any ideas if we happen to stumble upon it? What can you do? I have dream magic, can put others to sleep and influence their dreams."

Mogwin goes right next to Lilia, after promising the 'blacksmith' to keep an eye out for his brother. The moogle seems to be a bit cautious, one small paw on the hilt of his blade but at least doesn't charge and try to blast anything yet, trying to track down anything... unusual. Perhaps a bit hard to do since A) still new in this place, and B) not really good at tracking things!. As Lillia asks him a question, he nods and flutters a bit higher, "I'm a Red mage!, I can use elemental magic, and also am pretty good with my sword, so don't worry, I am sure we can handle this beast."

A little girl can be heard crying off in the distant underbrush, but it's suddenly interrupted by a voice harshly whispering, "Shut up, it's not humies." The path is fairly distinct at first, but it soon begins to fade into the natural forest growth. It might take a careful eye to notice the notches made in trees as a means to track direction of path taken. A temporary thing, those marks heal up very quickly so they don't last for anything long term. Every now and then there is another set of footprints in the soil, but something is off. The insect noises have silenced and there are no birds talking.

Suddenly, out of the blue, a young man jumps through some underbrush all scratched up and in a panic. Panting with a heave, he very nearly trips and eats the dirt, but somehow manages to keep momentum. In a blind hysteria, he mutters something about getting help, but he runs RIGHT BY the fawn and moogle without even pausing. The only help he knows must be human. From the smell of it, fear must have gotten the better of the boy. In a matter of seconds, he's already gone. At least he seems to have come from the direction the bold adventurers travel.

Lillia suddenly stops as she hears the crying, and her eyes widen at the whispered words. Before she can do much to process that though the young man appears and darts past them as if running for his life. She blinks and looks to Mogwin, shrugs a bit and begins to move in the direction she heard the crying and whisper, as quietly as she can through the forest, though there still is the sound of her hooves lightly crunching against the forest floor. If only she could hover like Mogwin, but then, they're probably being watched anyway.

The Moogle turns to the source of crying, tilting his head as it suddenly stops... is he narrowing his eyes?, hard to tell. In any case, his attention is torn from the rather suspicious thing by the panicked human just... running past them. He tries to take a good look at the scared person, see if he was hurt, but... seems mostly... scared. The moogle is not even trying to be stealthy, seems just used to low altitude flapping of those wings, lots of energy!. "Shouldn't we... see what scared him so badly?" he asks, watching Lillia try to sneak towards the voices. He seems torn between the two directions, but of course follows the Deer, also going quiet.

Lillia frowns and ponders Mogwin's suggestion a moment. "Well, they were going pretty fast. I could probably catch up with them but what if they keep running and won't talk to me? I'm curious who the voices we heard were, seems they're magical creatures like us, maybe they have a different perspective on what's going on out here?"

Mogwin tilts his head, unsure who she meant by 'they'. "If you mean that guy... he didn't seem harmed, and he is going to town, so we can find him later, but i feel we should continue towards the area he came from, perhaps the beast is there... or was there recently? maybe we can find more clues." he points towards the underbrush, where the boy came from. "At least we should start moving... this silence is making me nervous."

There's a sudden scream that cuts through the misty forest air with ease. It's not a girly or effeminate yell, either. It's from a man that is more manly than most, but there is an undeniable terror that underlines the sound. It comes from not that far away, though it might be a somewhat rough sprint or flight through the vines and brambles that seem to exist only to inhibit movement. At least there are no giant killer flytrap plants around, right? ...right? The blacksmith's brother and another one of the villages youths are still unaccounted for; could it have been them?

There's more yelling, though whatever words they are tend to be muffled by the magical humidity and don't seem nearly as potent as the initial outcry. It almost sounds like there's a fight or something.

Lillia gasps, her eyes growing wide with shock at the sudden scream. She looks back to Mogwin, and begins to ask. "Should we follow the scream?..." Then there is more yelling, and unless Mogwin moves to stop her she'll begin heading toward the sounds, seems like someone needs help and she doesn't want to be too late.

Mogwin lets out a surprisingly girly 'Kupo!' at the loud scream, and jumps back... falls back? for a moment, but he will vehemently deny either of those things happening, if someone asks. He quickly recovers and dashes after Lillia, he has no intentions of stopping her, if anything he is trying to overtake her and head there first, ready to help as well.

A distorted shadow of two figures fighting plays over the densely packed trees ahead. One falls and there is the sound of cracking branches. Sunlight streams through the solid canopy, rays focused on the sight unfolding within the small clearing revealed as a man picks up a hunk of rock and deftly throws it through the air. It sails upward in an arch before falling to the ground some meters away. Whatever he was throwing it at, it seems to have missed. A second figure leaps from behind cover at the man, somewhat smaller than the man himself, and they both disappear behind a tangle of tree roots before any detail can be revealed.

There is a cry of pain from the man. Nearby, doubled-over atop a mossy stone, the other missing youth lies still while covered in red scratches. He seems to be unconscious...or worse. The moment anybody draws near, however, the second figure rises from behind cover while facing down those that approach. It is not a small figure, though. Not at all.

Whatever this thing is, 'The Beast' is all too fitting of a name. It easily stands about fifteen feet tall and towers over most all nearby flora and fauna alike. Its face is leonine while a flowing lion-like mane frames its head and covers its neck. The thick hair is twisted and tangled with what appear to be leafy vines. The teeth are impossibly sharp-looking, like razor-edged daggers in their pointiness, that could no doubt easily bite even the strongest of bones in twain. The eyes are sunken and fierce, almost glowing, and their gaze is palpable. The very feel of being looked upon is more than a bit unsettling; it is stirring to the core. Deer-like antlers sprout from the monster's head while yet more vines, some leafy and some flowery, web among the deadly natural weapons that are all too ready to gore what it does not maul.

The Beast has a furred body, muscled only as an apex predator might be, and its arms end in clawed hands. They may as well be talons, yet they aren't feline at all. Behind the tall monstrosity is a bristled tail, similar to a wolf's. It places its left foot upon the man. While its left leg seems to be unguligrade, the right leg seems to be a mass of branches and vines that looks more Wild Nature than anything limb-like. Suddenly, from behind, large bat-like wings unfurl and what can only be described as a wave of Pure and Utter Fear tangibly blasts outwards. The air itself shimmers through this. This must be what scared the other youth away in such blind terror. It will take great willpower to resist this immense source of intimidation to face down the creature directly.

"BeGoNe!" it commands in a voice that seems to be multiple voices layered over one another, booming and diabolic. "ThIs MaN wOuLd DaRe To AtTeMpT tO mUrDeR mE aGaIn?! WrEtCh! WaStReL! CuR! YoU wErE wArNeD THREE TIMES aNd YeT yOu StIlL pErSiSt. MuRdErErS, aLl Of YoU. No ReSpEcT fOr LiFe, So I wIlL hAvE yOuRs InStEaD!!"

The hunter is in no position to defend himself nor does he have the mind to manage it. He, too, is lost in the absolute horrific majesty of the The Beast.

For Mogwin, there has always been conflict in Eorzea between the Fiends, the Beasts, the Beast Tribes, and the many races of Man and their allies. That this is some magical forest creature threatening reciprocal violence on a human is no new tale, though the presence of the creature has clearly caused trouble for the local village in keeping them from hunting.

For Lillia, this is undoubtedly a Child of Nature. It all but drips with Nature Magic. Nature is not peaceful, though. Not at all. Aggressions against those that trespass or disrupt the natural order happen. It's all a part of balance. This 'Beast' is clearly protecting the woods from the hunters, disrupting as it may be to the village or otherwise, in a bid to prevent murderous poaching. That would explain the tampered-with traps.

Whatever the moogle and fawn decide, it must be quick. A man's life hangs in the balance and time is short.

Lillia gasps and comes to a stop for a moment, trembling in fear at the large and powerful beast. For a moment she isn't sure what to do, as she really doesn't know who is in the right between the people and the beast. She naturally leans toward the protection of nature herself but knows that people need to take from nature's bounty to live and as long as a balance is kept she would not see people starve to protect every living thing in the forest any sooner than she'd save a deer from a pack of hungry wolves. She decides they need time and cooler heads to figure this out, and so she will do what she does best.

Quickly she moves toward her Moogle friend and whispers to him. "Mogwin, try to distract everyone. I have an idea." She then swings her branch upward as she lobs a swirlseed, a bowling-ball-sized tan sphere with a blue swirl radiating out from the center, toward the hunters, on impact it will explode releasing her dream dust. She then bounds around the beast, swinging her branch in a wide circle, spreading more of her dream dust before finally bounding away and casting Lilting Lullaby, which will spawn a purple flower bud just like the one on Lillia's head upon the head of anyone who has been afflicted with her dream dust, making them feel drowsy and hopefully fall asleep for a bit once the bud blooms into a golden yellow flower.

The sight of such a huge intimidating beast causes the Moogle to instantly tense, reaching for his blade, holding his paw tightly over the hilt, tensing up. The creature looks dangerous... clearly hurt this hunter... even if it sounds like it might not be unwarranted... violence, is not sure this is going to work well as it stands.

The request to cause a distraction is met with him fluttering forward, "Beast!, I understand these humans are not innocent, but I can't let you just kill them in retaliation, it will only cause things to escalate!". Even as he speaks he unsheathes his large (for his small frame) blade. "If you insist on violence, maybe you should fight someone more skilled than some hungry villager hunters!". He makes some fancy swordplay, while the blade glows and crackles with yellow light, certainly putting a show while Lillia does her thing, wings flapping as he prepares to charge and protect the deer.

For an average individual, bounding quickly around through the thick underbrush of the forest, even if it seems to be a clearing compared to the surroundings, would be very difficult. Lillia has an advantage in this. However, the initial throw is slightly off mark. It's not that the aim wasn't true, but, much like the stone that the hunter threw, it simply seems to flat out MISS the hulking monster. As such, it lands with a little distance between them. Be it through sheer terror or sleep-inducing magical dust, Abby's brother passes out (although the bloom on his head may be clue to cause).

Strangely, the beast doesn't show a sign of a flower bloom or blossom amidst all the other vines winding over its form. "M- MeDlErS!" it cries out as if the dust might be having AN affect, if not entirely THE affect. "YoU wOuLd DeFeNd ThE sInS oF tHeSe MeN?" it insists of the Red Mage before roaring loudly. Yet another pulse of Soul-Drenching Fear radiates outward. The Hunter may be fast asleep, but the young man off to the side is just out of reach of the dust spread about. He whimpers, clearly still alive after all, but seems to be unable to do anything more.

The Beast's left foot lifts and repositions, apparently just on the neck of the now very helpless man. While The Beast's body language shows fatigue, it only spurs on that aura of intimidation. "ThE fOrEsT hAs No NeEd Of YoU. BeGoNe; BeGoNe, I sAy! ThE mAn In ThE tReE oNlY hAs ThE sTrEnGtH lEfT tO hElP mE! OuT, oUt!" With a ripple of motion, the magical creature plucks up a length of wood before throwing it. It's not a clumsy chunk of tree; the crafted spear, though small for such a monster, is more than large enough to be dangerous to a person and it whizzes through the air with the moogle as its target.

Though weakened, it seems that it's going to be a fight after all!

Lillia frowns as her magic fails to put the beast to sleep, as she really didn't want to have to fight with it, but she doesn't want to see anyone murdered today either. She takes a moment to speak quickly to the beast. "I was hoping we could talk and find a peaceful resolution. These men may have done wrong, but as far as I am aware they hunt so that others may not starve. I will not stand back and allow you to slay them without first hearing what they have done to deserve such a fate."

When the beast lifts a spear and tosses it at Mogwin, she quickly bounds forward and swings her branch downward, the dream-laden blossom that hangs from its end swings toward the beast and then the ground, creating an explosion of magic outward from the epicenter of the strike. Lillia isn't used to using her magic to harm, but she's been pushed to that end. "And I won't let you hurt my friend either!" She cries.

Mogwin was just playing decoy, just as Lillia requested!. "I am not going to let you murder these people!" he repeats, fluttering a bit more, trying to sound menacing. "They were trying to stop their families from starving, if they attacked you is because you are making it impossible for them to feed the town.".

The moogle was already prepared for battle, and as the large log is tossed his way, he 'simply', launches aside with a burst of speed, moving both down to the ground and to the left, the large wood spear grazing the pom on its head. Wasting little time, he raises his blade, holding it like a staff (so the hilt up), energy gathering at the gemstone at the tip, before launching it at the beast as a blue orb of energy. If it lands, it 'explodes' filling a small area with electricity for a moment, trying to zap the large beast. "Kupo!"

The magical slam might endanger the man at The Beast's feet as much as the giant creature itself. It jumps backward in a backstep, although the landing is a bit clumsy due to its vine-bound wooded right leg. Still not so less effected from this attack, there is recoil and what sounds like a vocalization of pain. Taking a few more steps backward, the Red Mage's Verthunder II seems to hit dead on against the Beast's chest...before absolutely missing somehow and passing straight through. It does, however, impact against the tree just behind the monstrosity and the sudden shock causes the creature to convulse in place for a moment.

The Beast turns away, but collapses and tumbles over a mass of roots before disappearing from view. From the sounds made through the leaf litter, it appears to be fleeing. A short fight, perhaps, and it leaves Marcus the Hunter and his remaining helper behind, but if these encounters are getting more and more deadly with each clash then the next may end in total tragedy. There's the option to give chase and prevent further problems, but it sounds to be in a hurry. Animals and beasts often return to their lairs to lick their wounds. Who's to say when it will next show itself.

Lillia gives an 'Eeep!' as she realizes that in her haste she had struck with one of the men within the blast radius of her attack. It seems though that between herself and Mogwin's magic the beast is on the run. She would love nothing more than to accept that that was the end of it, but in her heart, she knows the beast will strike again if they don't fully deal with this now. But before giving chase she checks on the hunters. "Are you both ok enough to make it back to the village? I can go gather some healing herbs but I sadly can't do much for really serious injuries."

The moogle considers giving chase for a moment as the beast somehow... ignored the initial part of the Verthunder, only to rush away regardless. He even begins to flap closer, only to change directions and join Lillia, trying to check on the villagers. "I can cast some healing magic to treat some of those wounds as well." then turns to Lillia, "Are we going back? or trying to follow that... creature?"

Marcus fell asleep due to the magic dust used, but the force of the shock wave from that other attack woke him up again. He lies on the ground, on his back, breathing heavily. He's injured, but he's alive. The other youth is still mostly immobile. Clenching his jaw, Marcus pushes himself up until he's sitting, takes a few deep breaths, then begins to stand with a groan. "Go... Go get that Gods-damned monster. Bring me back its head an'I'll mount it on my wall in your honor." He inhales sharply through his teeth. "I can take the boy back. I've had- Nngh. ...worse." Slow steps taken, Marcus begins to walk toward the youth. "Och, round bells time o' th' leg o'tha goat god come kicking, boy. Yer mother would never forgive me if I left ye behind."

Off in the wooded distance, the breakneck footsteps grow fainter.

Lillia nods to Marcus, wincing a bit as she watches him push through to stand and go to the youth. "Sorry I kinda hit you a little when I was going for the beast..." She apologizes, then turns to Mogwin and nods, a serious look in her eyes. As much as Marcus wanted the beast dead, and she couldn't blame him for feeling that way, she still hoped they could resolve this without slaying the magical beast. "Somehow, we have to end this now, or it will just happen again." She states before giving chase to the fading footsteps, bounding quickly to try and catch up.

The moogle tries to help Marcus, once again waving his sword as this time green light bathes the wounded man, almost instantly some of the pain and damage on his body seems to fade away, joints move easier, "That should help you, Kupo, hope you make it safely back home." he offers, turning away from the villagers to begin fluttering once again after Lillia and the beast, moving as quickly as he can, "I wonder if the villagers did something to provoke it as well..." he muses out loud, "But we have to stop it."

The hunter might be briefly seen looking over the healed wounds on his hands from the encounter just before he leans over to lift the young man and put him over his shoulders for the walk home. When Lillia and Mogwin give chase, however, there seems to be a bit of zigzagging from side to side by some meters of length in each pass. This might seem like a bit of a tactic to throw off those chasing, but Lillia might suddenly find out why when a steel trap triggers from a step that is a bit too close that disturbs a fallen branch atop it. The branch easily splinters; that could have been her leg! ...somehow, it's likely that The Beast didn't put those there, but the monster might happen to know where they are.

A hazardous chase by all accounts, yet the creature has enough of a lead that catching up could take some time. Indeed, it may then be impossible to find it before it reaches its home. That might explain why the footsteps have gone silent up ahead. Either that, or it's planning an ambush.

What Mogwin and Lillia do find is the Great Tree, the largest and oldest tree in the local wood, in what can only be described as a solemn grove that brims with forest magic. It is large and gnarled and sprawling. Some of the limbs are so large and heavy that they have long since grown to rest partially on the ground. There is no sign of life, yet there is a presence.

"EEEP!" Lillia cries out as the trap springs way too close for comfort, and with that, she slows down to be a bit more careful where she steps. And indeed it soon sounds like the beast has stopped running anyway. She turns slightly to look toward Mogwin, though her eyes still flick back and forth as she keeps the lookout for traps. "I'm not sure what we're going to do to fight this beast, seems like it is lying in wait for us now..., and it seems to resist our magic at least somewhat."

The moogle seems safe of such traps, if only due to the fact he is not touching the ground, to a point he might have forgotten Lillia is not so lucky. Thus, he joins on a loud 'Kupo' at the steel jaws, "So many traps." he muses aloud, making sure the deer was unharmed before moving further in. "Either hiding ahead or waiting for some kind of trap or ambush... yes." he agrees, pausing for a moment. "I admit this sounds dangerous, but we have to do something."

Before the two have much time to explore the Glade of the Old Tree, there is a voice that speaks. It is not the same voice as The Beast. "Have you come to wet my roots with blood, children?" It's an old voice, as if from a grandfatherly figure, and, as it would be, that's precisely what seems to step out of the side of the tree and into the open. It looks like a bearded man, although there's not enough beard to compete with Eorzea's Ramuh. Similar in style, though, this old man shares many details as The Beast. Bits of vine and flower intertwine and sprawl over the robed figure's features. If any might remember the dreadful words of The Beast, this might be the Man in the Tree spoken of.

He stands there passively, watching and waiting. There is no sign of the monster that had to have come this way.

As a moment of quiet falls over the forest, and there is currently no sign of the beast, Lillia has a chance to actually take in the sights around her, and she can feel the magic as well. It reminds her somewhat of her home grove, though this one seems older, with the great tree which is the oldest among the forest possibly being as old as the God Willow, were it still to stand. When it was felled a branch of it became the Dreaming Tree which ultimately spawned Lillia herself. A voice breaks her from thoughts of her own ancestry and the magic of this wood, and she blinks as she processes the words of the elder voice, only to then frown and shake her head in despair. "I had hoped to avoid any bloodshed, but I am not sure that is still an attainable goal, or who to believe at this point."

Perhaps it is something about the curious... bearded man, how similar he was to the beast, and even simply the fact it emerged from the large, and clearly, powerful tree, that leads to a very easy conclusion, "So you are the man in the tree the beast mentioned... did you twist some poor forest creature into it?, or summoned from another realm?" he asks. Even as he speaks, the moogle is doing some preparations, the bat winged mage lands and stabs his blade on the ground, energy gathering on the hilt of his sword, before it flies up and 'explodes' in a small translucent shock wave, creating a short lived dome around him and Lillia, the energy lingering on the deer and himself. "We don't want bloodshed, we just want to stop this conflict, but we will defend ourselves if you decide to attack.". He resumes fluttering and glances to Lillia, "Are you ready?" he asks to his friend, before facing the bearded person.
Mogwin has dropped a connection.

"And how would you have me lay harm upon you? My branches are too old and stiff."

The old man figure turns partially away and walks a few steps alongside one such branch that bows to the ground underneath its own weight. "At one point in time, people would come to my glade to simply relax in my presence. Some would play music for the denizens of this wood to enjoy. Some would come to ask for blessings in return for caring for the land. And you..." A gentle wind manage to angle downward from the sky within this clearing of the thick magical wood. Some of the hanging moss draped over the aged limbs of the large tree sways. It is a wind devoid of the stifling humidity of the forest.

"You bring weapons." The old man inhales slowly. "I would be insulted if I didn't already know your goal." There's a brief pause. "I can smell the magical nature of each of you, both with varying degrees of connection to that which I also am through my roots. You would forsake that so easily? That which you seek is hidden by my hand and I see I will have little choice but to reveal that which you seek. You will have your blood one way or another if only because my strength wanes in keeping the Child of Nature alive."

"Well?!" asks the Man in the Tree with a raised voice. "You have questions? Ask them or begin chipping away at my bark."

Lillia's heart breaks at the words of the old forest spirit. "I was hoping to find a way to help both sides of this come to some sort of agreement, but maybe I am naive to have hoped for that in the first place. We came here bearing weapons because the child of nature you protect attacked us as well, but you say it is dying anyway and only your remaining strength is keeping it alive? What is really going on?" She asks, looking to Mogwin a moment, then back at the elder spirit, and lowering the branch she holds in her hands.

Mogwin looks at the ancient tree, Lillia, and the old man again. He did ask some questions already, but guesses perhaps they were lost in the heat of the discussion. "Our goal is to figure out who or what is disrupting the attempts of the villagers to hunt, they are running out of food because of them, and risk starving now, and if we can, figure some way to solve this situation." he says softly. "We are not here to destroy or burn the tree, or kill anyone, the creature attacked us, after we interrupted its attempt to murder a hunter, and we defended ourselves. We still hope this can be solved without further violence, as I said." he sheathes his weapon again, and lands on the ground besides Lillia.

Whispers can be heard from beyond the treeline surrounding the glade as faefolk watch and gossip freely. It would seem that the forest is truly alive and the events unfolding are the center of attention. The tree seems to groan and creak in response and the whispering quiets, at least a little. "You want a story," says the Man in the Tree after a moment to collect either his thoughts or his energy. Or both. He seems to sigh. It'll take that much more power to continue on, but the man seems to relent to this.

"A Child of Nature was brought to me by the fae-blooded of this wood. Badly injured, they say it fell as if from the sky with only the embrace of a tree's branches to save it from instant death. I was able to grant it my blessing; were it a man or mundane animal, it would not have been an option. The connection with Nature allowed me to keep it alive so long as it remained within my wood. We spoke. It was confused. It learned of the nearby village and it sought to make contact with those that dwell there. The Child met one of the Menfolk hunters."

A hand gestures downward toward the base of the tree and there, cradled in a groove, are two halves of a man-made and expertly fletched arrow. It's stained with red. "It did not end well. Fury overtook the Child of Nature and there has been a war waged for half a moon within my borders. Each conflict brings new injury and each injury drains me more."

"I do not have the strength to continue while maintaining the safety of the Others that require my protection. If you slay the Child, I only ask that you promise to make it quick. There has been enough suffering."

Lillia frowns again and shakes her head. "I was warned once against going near such villages for fear that I might suffer a similar fate. I truly weep for this child of nature and can empathize with its rage at being attacked, though in the same situation I likely would have just run away and never looked back... Is there any chance of calming the child's rage and having it move deeper into the forest, away from the village? The grove I come from is such a secluded place. Though I guess, no matter where, there is always a chance they will cross paths with man at some point, and that might start the cycle of rage and violence over again..." She frowns again, perhaps slaying the magical beast was the best solution, as much as she wished there was another way.

Mogwin listens to the story and lets out a soft sigh, "I'd rather not... hurt him more... that is not what we wanted." he says softly. "Perhaps we can try to talk to the village, make them understand he is not a threat?..." he glances back to Lillia, "We would tell them that we... defeated the child, and that they will be able to hunt again, so they won't come looking for him, and maybe with time forget about this conflict?" he offers helpfully, perhaps being a bit naive, before shaking his head again. "I mean... it might be impossible to avoid man but... not all of them are as violent as those hunters."

"I do not believe you understand," responds the tree spirit while the two ponder and deliberate and query. "I did what I could," he adds and begins to show signs of extreme weariness. "But the strength of man and the costs of war are often too much for even Nature to overcome, even with the best of intentions. I simply do not have the strength to carry this one burden any longer. I can only do so much -- I can only know so much -- for I am just a very old tree that has seen all who dwell in this wood that came after me live and eventually die. I do not weep. Loss is natural. And yet...it still weighs heavily on my heart for I have never seen such a Child of Nature before."

Leaning heavily against the large nearby branch, the old man begins to walk back toward the trunk of the tree whence he came. "Come. Come and see. Do what you will. I must rest." Back into the tree he walks, just as he emerged, but- No, if one follows, one can see that there is an opening in the wide trunk. There's a hollow within, yet the opening is not large enough for such size as The Beast to fit. Nevertheless, the two are invited to peek, to enter, while having absolutely no clue of what to expect other than The Beast- No, the ''Child of Nature'' is there and injured.

Lillia nods as the tree spirit explains how they don't understand but still hopes that while this tree spirit can't bear this burden alone any longer, that maybe they can help, especially if they can bring some of their friends into trying to work out a solution, but indeed understanding the situation was necessary first, and so with a glance to Mogwin and a nod, she follows without another word.

Mogwin glances back at Lillia and then follows slowly after the spirit. "Perhaps we can help, I know some healing arts of my own, and so does Lillia, so at least we can offer that." he offers quietly. It all sounds pretty serious, and certainly bad for the poor 'Child of nature' as it stands.

The moogle stands by the entrance, trying to get a better look at the wounded 'Child' now that they were not in mid battle. "I am sure between teh two of us can at least heal him but... there is still the issue of the anger and... conflict..." he muses, "What do you think.... Lillia?"

Lillia continues further with Mogwin and nods in agreement with his statement. "I have friends who may be able to help further, but I could try soothing the rage through dreams, though I'm still not sure how effective my magic is since this child of nature seemed to strongly resist my attempt to put it to sleep, while the still conscious hunter was immediately affected."

"Perhaps my own magic might work, not the best healer... I am no white mage" he rubs the back of his head, "I mean not an expert, but I can take care of some of those wounds at least," the Moogle muses, before nodding, "That's a point... perhaps it is due to his connection to this tree spirit?, it protects the child from... that kind of things?"

The truth behind resisting such magic is twofold. While the moogle's suspicions are very accurate, there is yet more to be revealed. The hollow within the tree measures a good three meters in diameter and extends much higher through the center of the tree. The tree is by no means dead just because this part of the core has long since rotted away. What it provides, however, is the closest possible and strongest connection with the tree one might manage. The magical flow in the air within the tree is immense, but not oppressive. It feels charged, but not dangerous. The lighting is dim, but venturing into the hollow enough reveals with what spilled light makes it past the duo the very creature they seek. However, they may not know it for what it is by looking at it.

Collapsed on the soft wooden floor to one side is an individual smaller than the average man. Barely clothed, scraps of what might have been vestments have been used to dress and bandage wounds. Fur-covered, eyes closed, mouth hanging slack in unconsciousness, a trickle of drool seeps from the woodland face down onto a shoulder where a swath of once-white silk cloth covers the puncturing brought about by an arrow. The Child's right leg is half-missing, a bundle of sticks roughly tied together with vines functions as a replacement from the knee down, and his otherwise naked body is caked in dirt and dried blood. It's a miracle that the Child still alive from the look of it. A miracle granted, of course, by the spirit of the tree wherein the runty deer-person lies barely clinging to life.

Lillia looks around for a moment in awe at the hollow in the tree, both for its size and for the magical power radiating within. But soon she takes sight of the child of nature, indeed unrecognizable from the beast they saw before, if not for the missing part of the leg being a very good clue. She finds it incredible that such a small frail and dying creature could have appeared so large and powerful just moments ago. She wanted nothing more than to take away the pain and suffering this creature was experiencing. "If there is anything at all we can do to help, we will."

Mogwin is not a particularly 'nature' attuned creature, but he can feel the great power regardless. The moogle's attention quickly lands on the wounded, seemingly fainted deer person, and winces immediately at the clear damage. "Looks bad... he really needs help." he mumbles, wincing, before turning to Lillia, "I will do my best to help him." he muses, leaning a bit closer. "I can try to cast my healing magic here, not sure how much i can heal, but should at least... help?"

Time itself almost feels like it is slowed, although that may be in part due to the last fading effects of the Tree's efforts to keep the injured deer person stable. That, too, is fading. The moment is shared between the three there, even if one is not awake to experience it. The old man, at least in appearance, disappeared the moment it reentered the tree itself. Whatever the two wandering adventurers aim to do, it is purely their choice, although the time to do so is rapidly slipping away like sand through an hourglass.

The strong feeling filling the air is already waning, returning quickly to the same normal feel of the rest of the glade.

Lillia doesn't have any healing powers, and she travels pretty light so she isn't carrying around an assortment of healing herbs or even a waterskin to help clean the deer-person's wounds. So she would leave the attempts at healing to Mogwin for now. Instead, she moves to lay down next to him and uses her magic to try and see if he is in the middle of a dream, or even a nightmare that she could manipulate, if not, she will attempt to conjure a soothing dream for him to keep him calm while Mogwin works to heal his external wounds.

Mogwin slowly walks near the wounded deer, taking a better look at him for a moment. The moogle's paws hold onto his blade once again, holding it upside down like a staff. While Lillia tries to examine the deer's dreams, he focuses energy on the gemstone of the blade again, bright blue, and then reaches to lightly tap one shoulder of the 'child'. A burst of bluish green energy engulfs him, as a moderate healing spell takes place, instantly closing and treating some of the wounds. It is not a high level healing magic, but it should help. As the spell ends, Mogwin begins casting it again.

The time at hand is purely Lillia's and Mogwin's to use.

For Mogwin, the concentration and focus to heal is limited to his ability to repeat the spell again. And again. And again. It is not an instant process. Whatever lead this individual to take the brunt of such punishment is unknowable and yet it's amazing, even without the Tree's help, that something -- somebody -- so frail has been able to hang on for so long. The outside wounds heal easy enough, even though the dried blood remains, leaving a mess of whatever happened inside over the past two weeks of conflict with the village hunter.

For Lillia, the affair is no less personal or straining. There are no stable dreams to be found. There is only erratic glimpses of fleeting thought, perhaps memory, that flash. They are ill-defined, a murmur, blurred by pain and injury. With some effort on her behalf, they may be refined, made clearer, but the instances are still brief. It's like watching water leak from cupped hands. No matter how much you try to fill them, the stream only leaks faster the more effort is put in. One image seems to repeat more than most, although it is barely a face, one detail being the clearest a pair of spectacles, although the details of the face seem to waver back and forth from one partial image to another.

Time and effort are needed. Still, the helpful sustaining presence of the tree fades completely and the life before the pair is completely in their care for whatever they seek to do with it afterward. Things may seem to stabilize, with Mogwin's constant care, and Lillia's efforts are awarded with a name hanging in the air that she would not recognize. The name exists as a concept, a feeling, with no letters to pen. Though, just as the name becomes nearly clear enough to speak, the deer exhales deeply and begins to go limp...

The name. A breath. A name spoken twice now through similar consequence. A feeling of sorrow colors the room within the tree. There is another name. A glimpse of a broken body in a bed. A glimpse of a body crumpled forward in a car. Tragic visuals, yet, behind it all, a deep love that can never be broken.

Lillia has never encountered a person whose thoughts are so fragmented and fleeting, as even when she tries to form a dream within his mind it is so unstable that she isn't able to enter that dream and stay long enough to examine his inner psyche, at least not long enough for things to make much sense. She does get glimpses of the tumultuous life this creature has had recently, and she also gets the feeling of a name which she slowly pieces together, though it means nothing to her without context as she knows no one by the name Ibuki, nor can she be completely sure the name isn't a scrambled form of something else. Feeling she can do little to help in the traditional dream therapy she specializes in through her magic, instead she continues to urge the cervine child into a deep, restful slumber.

After a few more moments she stands again and moves back towards Mogwin, looking the Moogle in the eyes. "Does the name Ibuki mean anything to you?"

Mogwin is not really used to receive any kind of feedback while doing that, but by now most of the wounds of the deer might be slowly healing properly. He tilts his head and pauses, trying to make sense of the name and the things happening in his head. Finally, he stops casting and begins to stand up, "I need some time to recover." he mumbles, before hearing Lillian, "You saw something too?" he asks, before shaking his head, "No... I don't think it does, what about Oguma?" he asks.

The moogle needs rest and it's purely understandable. It gives a very good understanding of how much magical power it took on the behalf of a ''tree'' just to keep the deer person alive; at a distance, no less! Not longer after the moogle breaks his exercise in restorative magic, the fawn soon finds that the images and dreams quickly fade.

For a few moments, there is nothing. The tree seems to sighs in creaks all around the three.

...what was the point? ...did any of this matter? The world will go on. The villagers will be able to hunt once more. The wood will have a new tale and the Tree will know yet another as nothing more than a memory.

There is a jolt of energy through the air, like a silent crack of thunder that rolls and reverberates with startling force! A breeze curls around the trunk of the tree and a gust of fresh air puffs into the hollow just as the deer person gasps hungrily in need of breath. Arms move and hands grasp aiming to latch onto anything they can find in a blind frenzy before the antlered Child of Nature can even open their eyes.

"Ibuki! Father!"

Open they do, though they are not well adapted for the dim light inside the tree. Wide-eyed, the individual peers around almost in a panic. The moogle is mostly safe from this sudden thrashing, but Lillia rests right beside this...person. Likely clinging to one of the fawn's forelimbs, a foggy mind searches for the Named Ones...but instead finds a different face.

"...Lillia?!" the voice croaks from so much fatigue and strain. "My father- My friend! They were here, did you see them? Where are they? I can't see well."

The deer stills. His eyes silently and near-blindly search the tree's cavity. No. That can't be right.

Ibuki and Oguma are dead.

Lillia shakes her head at Mogwin. "They both do sound like names that I'd hear on an island I recently have visited a few times, an island with animals who speak and walk on two legs... just like this one... Oh... oh my..." She blinks in realization as she turns back to the deer just in time for him to grasp her leg and cry out for father and friend. She frowns and shakes her head. "I wish I had been able to see them. It is just me and my friend Mogwin here with you now. You're safe with us though, just rest."

Mogwin nods slowly at the answer, taking a deep breath as he tries to recover, but pauses, "What is it?" he asks, glancing back at the 'child' as he seems to wake up in a very understandable panic. "Calm down... you were injured and... in a very bad state, so you might be confused." he says softly. "It's just us... I am Mogwin..." he offers. "I... somehow heard one of those names... sensed?" he says softly, "While trying to tend to your wounds..." there is a moment as he tries to process things, "We were quite... lucky to find you when we did.".

The deer listens for a moment to what all is said while remaining quiet. Only one of his ears makes any real movement -- small flicks -- other than his breathing. There's a moment of realization. "Lillia, I need to make a phone call," he says resolutely while suddenly pushing up to a sitting position. While his wounds may be eased, his body is still low on energy and it shows. Of course, phone calls will be a problem in this part of the world. "Mogwin. My memory is hazy, but I recall hearing about a village nearby." Unless anybody wants to try holding the deer guy down, he seems quite intent on crawling toward the exit and out into the open so he can try to stand. His replacement prosthetic has loosened, though, and he begins to immediately fall over.

Lillia blinks as the deer continues to speak using her name as if they've met, then he asks if he can make a phone call. "Uh, this is Distant Oceans, going to have as much luck making a call with a phone as you would on a rock. You were also nearly dead a few moments ago so I don't think wandering down to the village is such a great idea right now. Who are you trying to talk to? Maybe one of us can find them and bring them to meet you."

The red deer shakes his head as he sits on the ground once more and begins retying the vines in place around the small stump of his right leg's below-knee. "That's not good enough. I must have been missing for a long enough time for a full-scale search. I need to contact my company and my wife immediately." There's another groan as Louis once again rises to his feet. The vines dig into his pelt and hurt, but he puts on a stone-faced expression and begins to walk.

"Actually," comes a voice from the treeline. An ambiguous shape floats there, although it seems to have wings it doesn't need to use in order to hover in place. "There might be a way. Hurry, follow me!" It disappears beyond, though there's at least a sense that the fae creature is waiting. The deer regards the two that have come to save him. Perhaps the memory of the recent conflict is too hazy to fully recall under the influence of the Tree's magic.

"I despise the notion of asking, but it might be best if you two accompany me."

----

The trip through the woods isn't easy for Louis, but it's uneventful other than the stares from other forest folk and creatures. For some reason the forest seems to be very enthralled by his presence. He doesn't look like much outwardly. He's dirty, caked with blood, sagging from fatigue, and near completely naked. It must be for some other reason. "Why are you helping me?" he voices to the floating guide just far enough away that it's hard to make out details.

"Any friend of Seanathair is a friend of ours. He really ''likes'' you. I don't think I've seen him that sad in a while."

"That's the name of the tree?"

"Close enough."

"So, where are we going?" It's not easy for him in the state he's in, but he doesn't want to sound whiny in complaining.

"To the Scrying Stone! Well, it does more than that, but you'll see!"

The stone in question isn't too much further. It's hard to tell if the twelve foot tall boulder is naturally shaped the way it is or if something had carved it to be so. Almost like a funneling slide, the tall leaning stone collects the dewy drips of the large leafy plants above where they gather in a puddle in a bowl-like indentation closer to the base where somebody can easily stand. The water is clear and, suddenly, Louis realizes just how thirsty he is. Inspections complete, the buck looks to the faerie and asks with a dry mouth, "What do I do?"

"Oh. I thought you knew. Um, well, you need to lean over the water and stare into it, focus your magic into it, and think really hard about a person or place. You should be able to see it, and, uh... If you use enough magic you can probably talk to them, too, but it can be a little strange in how that works. If it's too far away, though, it might not work." Funnily enough, that makes perfect sense with how Synthatek ''is''. Louis places hands upon the cold stone on either side of the bowl and leans in over it.

Magic? He'd never consider himself magic by any means. There are some deep-seeded spiritual things regarding his people, the Nature Animals, but those things hardly ever come up in normal life. After a few moments of blankly staring and forced concentration and absolutely nothing happening, probably with mixed responses of thought from his two companions that can both use differing forms of magic, the floating fae thing offers consolation.

"I can help. But just this once, and this only works once a day, so ''don't screw it up''! Hee hee."

There's a gesture and the water ripples. Louis fixates upon it and the reflection of his face and thinks so terribly hard about where he works. Only one shot at this... When a shimmer of an image of his office appears he almost pulls away in surprise, but he buckles down hard and doubles his efforts. Teeth clenching, the picture of a lion comes into view. Hey, that's-

"Free! Free, can you hear me?" The lion doesn't seem to respond in any way other than passing a glance down a hallway to where people are gathered. "Free, damn it, I swear if you don't pay attention to me I'm going to suspend you from work for a whole month!"

Free pulls out his phone and peers at the garbled number before answering. His voice is audible, yet warbly and distant. "Who is this? The fuck you want?"

Astounding! It would seem the magic is affecting some sort of broadcast that allows some communication through a mix of magic and technology that one would only experience in Senta. "Free, it's me, Louis! You've got some nerve addressing me that way." The reflection of the lion in the water looks uncertain.

"Boss? You sound like you're calling from the moon instead of the bathroom. What happened, did you fall in?"

"Fall in? Is that supposed to be funny? Of course I fell in! There was some sort of hole in the bathroom floor and I fell from the sky into some forest in the middle of nowhere, but I'm safe now. Call off the search and I'll try to find a way home soon."

Free laughs. He ''laughs''! "Okay, sure, boss. I'll get right on that," he jokes with clear sarcasm as he cradles the phone between his head and shoulder while leaning back against the wall behind him and starts to file his nails.

...!

"Free, leave your damn claws alone and contact the Board and my wife to let them know I'm safe. I'm not risking a stocks drop just because you're being lazy and rude."

Well, that gets Free's attention. He straightens up and looks around in confusion. "You can see me? You peeking through the door somehow?" The lion approaches the bathroom door and opens it and steps inside to look around. "WHAT? It's empty!"

"Of course it's empty. Did you think I'd be stuck in a bathroom for two weeks?!"

"Two weeks? That's silly, Louis. I watched you just walk in." Louis goes silent, jaw hanging open. That's impossible. Isn't it? The image starts to fade and it becomes harder to hear the lion. Free even glances at the phone face to make sure the connection is still holding. "Boss?"

"I'll be home soon, Free. No missing animal reports, no news! Cover for me. Let Azuki know I'm safe. She'll worry about the company image. Don't tell anybody there what happened. Tell them it was an emergency business trip. Keep smiling and- And..." The image is completely gone. For a good long while Louis just stares into the now murky water with a million questions in mind. At length, he turns and looks to the fawn and moogle -- the faerie is no longer visually around -- and his tiredness really starts to show.

"Is it really March the Twenty-Ninth again? Still? Or was what I just saw, talked to, from the past? I- I need to get home. Please...I could use the help. I don't know where I am."

|}}

2022-03-08 Business is War

2022-03-10T01:21:05Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Business is War |Summary=Nina Flip and her new friend Nanaki meet up with Louis the Red Deer for coffee after a business meeting held in a city on the Sent..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Business is War
|Summary=Nina Flip and her new friend Nanaki meet up with Louis the Red Deer for coffee after a business meeting held in a city on the Senta Mainland, only there are business competitors that disagree with such dealings and have something to say about it.
|Who=[[Nina_Flip]], [[Nanaki]], [[Louis]]
|Date=March 08, 2022
|Where=Senta Mainland
|Log=

It would seem that Louis the Red Deer, CEO of Horns Conglomerate, has a business meeting abroad with a potential partner in investing. This rather sudden appointment coincides with what was going to be a follow up discussion concerning Nina Flip's interest in academy enrollment back on Beast Island. While the nature of the talk may have to wait, at least in formality, Nina at least knows where the deer is going to be ''after'' the meeting. An offer for coffee was presented were she to be in the area with a few days heads-up.

This part of the mainland hosts all types of people and strangeness is wont to happen when least expected. That the day seems normal is a small comfort to some. It's nearly just about time for Louis to finish up his meeting and head to a nearby Vegan Cafe. The streets are bustling with the usual foot traffic and the streets seem mildly congested. A loud sudden honk and a hand lifts out a cab window before an objection is raised to somebody crossing the middle of the street slowly. Just another day in a big city.

Nina still doesn't have terribly many friends in this new place far from home. She didn't really have many there either that weren't strictly online, with how protective her father was with making some of his men serve as her bodyguard/babysitter. But she likes Louis, and though they have really only just met, she liked her meeting with Nanaki also, and so when Louis offered to meet her for coffee, she thought it might be good to bring Nanaki along to meet the man as well. Nina was at the park near the Usual, as it's been a place she's been hanging out a lot since it's got water, a bit of nature, and none of the gritty sand of the beach. She leaves the lake and takes a moment to squeeze the water out of her hair and comb it, still in her dolphin form for the moment.

Nanaki certainly understood how not having any friends could complicate matters terribly in any kind of situation. He had always considered himself somewhat of a loner, but traveling through all of Gaia with Cloud and the others had spoiled him terribly. Even if it had been hard times, he missed the camaraderie, and the bonds that formed between him and his friends. It was why, when perhaps his old self would have rejected Nina's invitation to accompany her anywhere, now he jumped at the opportunity with great delight. Nina seemed like an interesting case, and while she had certainly been very helpful and friendly, she didn't strike him as untrustworthy, which was a very important quality for Nanaki who had been betrayed many times.

It was true also that Nina had a feeling of vulnerability about her that made Nanaki naturally want to protect her, though he was trying hard to restrain himself from coddling her too much- particularly because she had way more experience in this strange world than he did. And so, the red furred warrior beast approached the park, sniffing the air in search for Nina's scent. Taking in the familiar smell of fresh dolphin, Nanaki padded over closer to the water area of the park looking about for the dolphin girl until he saw her sitting next to the water. "Ah! There you are, Nina! Hello!" He said excitedly, his fiery tail wagging slightly behind him.

Nina smiles as Nanaki appears and greets her. Meeting here first worked great, as it was a quiet place where they could meet while Nina was still in her dolphin form, as Nanaki hasn't even seen her transform yet, then if that doesn't freak him out too much they could walk over to the coffee shop together. She waves back with her flipper-like hand and moves a little closer to him. "Hey Nanaki, glad you could make it. I just really think you might like Louis, and see the city he comes from. But first, I need to show you something. Please don't freak out, but I am going to change into my human form, it'll just be a lot easier to walk that way." She warns and gives him a chance to process that, watching his expression before she starts to concentrate on the change.

There are not many things that can freak Nanaki out, to be honest, particularly after all his adventures in Gaia and then this! However, there was always room for brand new experiences that would startle him, so there was certainly the possibility that he could be taken back by Nina's shape shifting powers. To be certain; Nina being in her dolphin form certainly helped matters, Nanaki might have been able to recognize her due to her scent, but he would have likely been confused due to the change of appearance.

"Well, he certainly sounds like the person to get to know around here," he said in regards to the topic of Louis. He was a character who's name got thrown around here and there through the city, a deer of great importance from the rumors that Nanaki had heard. "I would be remiss to turn down such an opportunity." He affirmed to Nina, nodding his head and smiling as best he could with that snout of his, it was difficult to convey human expressions, but he had practiced a lot and it was at least somewhat clear he was smiling. There is, however, a blink of is eye when Nina told him not to freak out to what was about to happen. "I'm sorry... did you say you're going to turn into a human??" This was.. certainly new territory for him.

Nina nods, opening her eyes again to give a bit more explanation. "Yes, you see, this form is what they call where I'm from, my 'beastman' form. Our genetic makeup is close to true humans, as from what I learned in school we had regular human ancestors, but each of us has a specific kind of animal in our genetic code, and when two different beastmen have a child only one is passed on to the child. My dad is a beluga, while my mother is a dolphin, for example. I like being in this form more, and I can move around on land still, it's just harder, long distances on land wear me out. Anyway, here goes."

She closes her eyes again and concentrates, sitting on her tail. What comes next is a fairly rapid change, taking only a few seconds as her tail turns a lighter blue and more indistinct, almost like water, and splits to form her legs, her face becomes more human-like, though she retains the same eye and hair color, her eyes gaining whites around her iris instead of being purely aquamarine. Her skin takes on a light peachy pink tone, and a pair of black flats appear on her newly formed feet as the transformation finishes and she opens her eyes again.

Nanaki's eye narrowed slightly as he listened to Nina's explanation. That's right, he almost forgot that Nina was from an entirely different world and she was in fact not a native. This information was important because Nanaki had yet to see any native from this dimension shape shift, though that was not to say no one here was capable of performing such a feat. Either way, it did mean that Nina was not subjected to whatever passed for laws of nature in this place, and he watched the transformation carefully.

"Huh..." he said sounding surprised, though at the very least he wasn't freaked out, at least not visibly. Seeing Nina human felt oddly ''wrong'' somehow. Perhaps because he had felt great kinship with her as a fellow beast, and now there she was, masquerading as a perfectly normal human. Ah well, it was no matter, she was still Nina after all- hopefully. "A very interesting and useful skill, I must say." He tilted his head to one side regarding the girl with some amusement. "Though...if I can be perfectly honest, I think I agree and I also like your dolphin form better. Not to say you don't look good in this form either that is."

Nina nods and smiles. "Yeah, I guess it comes in handy more for me than for most like me, since my beast form has a tail instead of legs. Then again, many beastmen tend to stay in human form most of the time and change when they are angry, and the beast form makes them much stronger in a fight. I change when I'm happy or excited, so I guess I'm weird, but in a good way in my opinion." She says with a smirk as she heads off toward the place where they're supposed to meet Louis.

"Well," Nanaki chuckled softly as Nina called herself weird after explaining the capabilities of the Beastmen from her home dimension. "I once again have to agree with you, as I've grown rather fond of your weirdness as you say. However, as much as I prefer your Beast form and others might prefer theirs in turn, I would be a fool to deny the power of such a transformation." He looked at his own paws with a narrowed eye. "Things would be ''so'' much easier for me if I could turn into a human, even momentarily. You all might have a choice in being beast or human, but I... Do not." It was just the state of affairs, and after pondering a little Nanaki moved on and followed Nina to their destination.

((Music start: https://youtu.be/fOg2PS_I2Us ))

On approach to the meeting place, there seems to be a bit of a commotion. While Louis has a habit of attracting crowds, this seems to be the exact opposite. Humans of all sorts vacate the sidewalks, run into buildings, cars suddenly lurch to the side to pull around others to speed on their way. There's a definite sense of fear gripping these people, but it's not until the loud unmistakable cracks of gunfire ring out through the air that panic fully swells.

People scream. Some dive for cover. Others stand still in a light crouch too afraid to move. At least one car swerves to avoid people running into the street and crashes into a parked car setting off airbags. One man, at least runs over to grab a child before they toddle off in front of the vehicular traffic, but more gun shots force the man to stay in cover behind a post box sheltering the youth while the distressed mother clings to the bricks behind the corner of a nearby building.

There are other voices yelling in communication coming from the square where the meeting spot is to be, but it's hard to discern them over the din of cars and people. Those with sensitive ears might hear that there are two groups, each located on one side of the inner city clearing, but the gunfire alone makes that pretty clear.

Just moments ago: Louis and two of his personal lion bodyguards, Free and Dolph, step out of an office building and begin to make their way toward the Vegan coffee shop. The deer appears to be a mix between annoyed and tired while a briefcase is gripped hard in one hand. Free tries to lighten the mood by telling a few jokes, only to get distracted by a very attractive black lady in a fetching skirt that wanders by. Dolph, almost always serious, makes a few remarks regarding the way things went. Louis shakes his head and casts his steely gaze downward to find a coin. He's never seen a coin like that before. As he leans down to pick it up, falling behind the other two, a shot rings out that shatters a glass table behind the deer. Dolph yells and shoves the deer aside before another shot rings out only to impact with the lion's shoulder. Free rushes over to pull Dolph down behind a parked car while Louis crawls toward the nearest shelter he can find. Separated from his guards, huddled behind a concrete planter, the lions begin firing back at the aggressors. Two large rhinos take cover across the way armed with revolvers.

Nina blinks as she hears gunfire, and fortunate for her, while her hearing is still a bit above normal human ability even in this form, it wasn't fully up to dolphin levels of sensitivity. She looks around as she rushes to get behind cover herself, after a few moments she makes out Louis and his guards through the commotion caused by the ongoing scene, and she sees the rhinos with guns. She slowly makes her way to within earshot of Louis, and calls over to him. "Are they from Denko too? What the hell do they want?"

As it usually was the case, Nanaki had no time to feel sorry for himself- there was battle to be fought! The sounds and smells of gunpowder weapons are not entirely new to him and he recognized the sounds of guns being fired as well as the smell of smoke they left after being discharged. Not to mention the screaming and the sensation of fear everywhere, something indeed was going down here and it was not the pleasant kind. "Nina! Look out!" Nanaki said to the Dolphin turned human as he chased after her, seeing her simply run into the fire fight and get into cover. This girl was insanely brave! He would have never imagined that she'd have the guts to simply dive into a hail of bullets like that, but appearances can be deceiving. It worked out just fine for Nanaki, because as Nina moved closer towards Louis and his bodyguards, she made certain to point out to Nanaki who were her acquaintances and in turn that made him identify the attackers; the Rhinos!

Now that he had a target he could enter the fight proper. They wanted a fire fight? He would give them one then. "Hmrrg..." The red furred warrior beast stood next to Nina taking cover and he summoned magical power to his body. Channeling the materia he had in him he side stepped to get a clear shot on the Rhinos and pointed at them with his tail, as if it were a scorpion's stinger. "Firaga!!" He shouted as he sent an explosive fireball in the rhinos' general vicinity to at the very least smoke them out from their covered position.

Leaning back against the car wherein he and his associate take cover, Dolph pulls free of his dress jacket, quickly undoes his tie, and then pulls his button-down shirt open with a muted pop of buttons onto the ground. Ripping free a section of fabric, the large lion uses his tie to secure the cloth in place with a tightly cinched knot. Free covers Dolph with return fire as he tries to use the reflection of the store front nearby to determine where the rhinos are located, but stray fire from the enemy shatters both front seat windows and the store front window in one swoop. "You okay, Boss?"

"I'm fine, Dolph! Just a bit scuffed."

"You know who these fuckers are, Louis?!" yells the pompadour-styled Free within seconds of Nina's own questioning.

"I have no idea who they are! But if it's a fight they want-" The deer reaches into his dress jacket and a thumb pops open the latch on his hidden holster. Louis and his crew are no stranger to street fights, not that many would know, so for the most part this all reflex and muscle memory. Dolph quickly returns to the fight and tries to get a bead on the gunmen.

A brilliant burst of flame erupts with an infernal scream as it consumes air and creates a dangerous blast of fire and heat. The sudden eruption glares off the metal and glass surrounding the square far too close for one of the rhinos. Shuffling to one side, patting at a coat sleeve to put out the fire lit on his outfit, one of the rhinos is exposed from cover briefly. Louis -- so small and weak -- turns out from behind the planter, quickly takes aim, and fires. One round. One rhino. The rhino's horn explodes as it deflects the bullet and the large thug falls backward in surprise. The other rhino takes a moment to check on his comrade. If it weren't for the horn being lost, that would have been a brutal and quick end to half of their assaulting force.

This affords a moment of respite on both sides, although both no doubt seek to recover before re-engaging. Taking cover once more and panting, Louis looks across the way to where Free and Dolph are and then further beyond to where Nina and...another animal is located. A voice calls out from the other side of the open area. "You lion bastards think you can weasel in on our turf?! Shishigumi punks!"

The other rhino adds, "The businesses around here are going to belong to Khan Industries, not your filthy second-rate street gang!"

"Nina Flip, stay in cover!" commands Louis in a tone that has humbled many a Carnivore. "These mother''fuckers'' didn't get the memo."

Free laughs from the hilarity of it all.

Nina sighs as from what she's hearing this is a bloody turf war. Not something she was unused to hearing about back home either. Animals may build fancy civilizations with gleaming cities, but they still can't shake off the fight for territory. "I don't think I can help much anyway." Nina says back to Louis with a nod, and moves a bit further behind cover but still tries to keep a look at what's going on. "Pretty much all the muscle I gain in my beast form goes to my tail, so it doesn't do much for me in a fight... Probably one reason my dad worries about me so much..."

A turf war between gangs? "How terribly quaint." Said Nanaki, once again taking cover after he heard the two sides shouting at each other. At first, not knowing much background of the situation, Nanaki had assumed this was some kind of assassination attempt. Louis was after all a very famous individual, and while Nanaki wasn't certain what was it that lead him to such fame, being that powerful certainly made him a lot of enemies. Now, after hearing the rhinos and the lions shout at each other, it turned out it was nothing more than gang fighting. Curious, and almost disappointing, but a fight was a fight and Nanaki would be remiss to not stand by his new friend. He'd figure out the full details later, right now those rhinos presented a danger to Nina and they had to be dealt with. Yes, Nanaki had tried hard not to act the part of protector but old habits truly died hard.

"Brute strength won't do much in this kind of situation. One must be swift." The wolf/lion said to Nina before glancing at Louis and his bodyguards. "Hey, you three! Cover me!" Taking the opportunity that the two parties were repositioning, Nanaki rushed across the street quickly to close the distance between him and the rhinos. He ambled around their destroyed cover, tracking them with his scent and charged at one of them from an oblique angle to force at least one of them into melee. "GRRROOOOAARR!!" A Lion's roar was heard as Nanaki pounced at one of the rhinos, the one that had gotten his horn blown off since he appeared more vulnerable. He tried to dig his claws hard on the rhino's biceps and rake his arms, before snapping his fangs into his collarbone to brutalize him and tear apart the rhino's clavicle.

The peace doesn't last long. Nanaki seeks to take the initiative and rushes headlong across the way. "Who the hell is that?" quips Free, but Louis is quick to shut down the questioning.

"Keep them hiding like cowards. If they have local law enforcement, they'll be here before long." That's not a guarantee. Some areas of Senta are completely controlled by gangs, no matter how civilized they may appear to be on the surface. That this kind of conflict has broken out is no surprise, but no less disappointing. Free and Dolph lay on the heat for as much as they can with what ammunition they have available. They don't exactly travel with bags of the stuff.

The rhino with a shattered horn is assaulted just as he starts to get back to his feet. His hide is nearly as strong as his muscles make him. What might otherwise be a quick take down turns into a wrestling struggle as a thick-fingered hand reaches to try to grab the wolf-lion by the scruff of the neck...which might result in mane pulling! While the rhino's hide may be extremely tough and he might be built like a tank, it's still no less dangerous that facing down a shotgun.

At the very least, the attack completely keeps one of the thugs busy while suppressing fire from the lions keep the other rhino from moving from his spot to help. Then, the squealing begins.

Rubber against asphalt, a black shape comes into view from around the building beyond where Louis huddles. A sedan takes the corner so fast that it briefly rises onto two wheels, but the weight of the gorilla that rises through the sunroof keeps it from tipping completely. Louis goes wide-eyed as the tommygun being held by the gorilla starts to discharge. His breath catches as his body lurches from his exposed and no-longer-safe spot into the open and the stamping of shoe and metal foot collide against the dirty sidewalk in pattern as the cement from the planter shatters, the nearby wooden bench splinters, dust fills the air in his wake, as he races for safety. Rounds clip the deer's right foot, twisting the shape, sending Louis forwards and downwards into a roll fully vulnerable. Dolph, topless and bleeding, sprints out from behind the car and dives in order to protect the deer while a frenzied Free stands out from the car and begins firing in rapid succession at the tires, yelling loudly in one continued exhalation.

Nina watches as Nanaki assaults one of the rhinos while the lions give him some cover fire. She is left feeling rather helpless, really wishing she could do something for her friends, but she can only cower behind a concrete planter. She lets out a scream though as the new vehicle appears and more gunfire starts raining down. As the planter shatters, and dust and dirt fill the air, she coughs a bit as she looks for some stronger cover, then cries out as Louis is shot in the leg. "Leave him alone you bastards!" She yells as she suddenly shifts back to dolphin form as adrenaline now pumps through her veins.

Nanaki had a feeling that there was much danger lurking beneath the peaceful facade of the city- but he hadn't quite imagined it would be quite this volatile. In just a few moments, the street had turned into a full on warzone. Nanaki had hoped that it was only these two rhinos who were causing trouble, but soon more reinforcements come in the form a car with a gorilla bearing a machine gun. There would be not much Nanaki could do to stop that and that wasn't even considering the fact that the rhino he was fighting was tougher than anticipated, all the wolf/lion could do was to take down his opponent as quickly as possible, otherwise he could be in a lot of danger as well.

"GRAAAAAAH!! You dare!!?" All pretense of taking easy on the rhino disappeared the moment that he pulled on his mane. Nanaki might only be half Lion but he had all the pride of one and pulling on his mohawk mane was a great insult to him. In the end it would perhaps be the wrong move for the rhino in every way imaginable because if he was pulling on Nanaki's mane, that meant that his face was now fully exposed, even more so because he didn't have his horn anymore.

'''WHAM!''' Nanaki swung a meaty left claw at the rhino's head to rake him across the face with his claw. This was mostly just to open him up for the follow up, as he swung upwards and cracked into the rhino's elongated chin hard with his right claw, essentially uppercutting him with enough strength to decapitate a normal human. Though in the rhino's case it'd probably rattle his brain inside his skull with enough force to hopefully leave him unconscious.

Those next few seconds seem to draw out, slow down, as each minute detail plays out. Fragments of stone and wood hang in the air joined with trash and refuse from an exploded bin. The sparkle of glass litters the ground and the sky as slugs of metal rebound and wreck. Fire literally shoots outward from the end of the barrel of the machine gun as the open-mouthed gorilla in the car roughly aims. Louis is on the ground, on his back, while specks of glass bedazzle his clothing like glitter. He can only see the large shape falling toward him slowly blot out the image of the gunner in the car.

Dolph hangs in the air, mid dive, thinking not of his own safety. Arms outstretched, rolling to one side, he presents his back as a barricade to the deadly spray. Free continues to fire, but now stands in sheer defiance of this act of attempted murder, not yet aware that the next pull of the trigger will be fruitless. There is no more ammo to spend. Nina's change is frozen in time, for what detail can be seen, as she, too, yells in defiance from where she hides. The impact from Nanaki's swipe equally persists in that moment, the thunderous crack of contact can be seen in ripples over the goon's face in some halfway point between consciousness and none. The other rhino ducks down, taking further cover from the introduction of the tommygun and the one driving the car, with his arms held in the air covering his head.

In a flash of convergence, all of these actions come together, and the pause in moment amid such chaos comes crashing down. The rhino being clubbed falls backwards, K.O.ed, into the nearby bike rack. His gun discharges and clips the gorilla, the gorilla flinches and jerks the aim of the gun away from the target, a spray of bullets cuts into the hood of the car, the car jerks before spinning out of control and sliding into a crashed stop, and the other rhino rushes out of cover to sprint to the crashed car calling out for his boss. The gorilla in the sunroof slips back into the vehicle and voice within yells NONSTOP in frustrated disappointment.

The rhino pulls open the driver door and a three foot tall alligator with a 5-Gallon Hat jumps out and immediately begins berating the thug. "What a disgrace! A DISGRACE! How's anybody supposed to fear the name of Trader Moe when you GOONS go and make a mess of everything. EVERYTHING!" The alligator pulls at the edges of his hat, very distraught. "Now get outta here before the fuzz arrives. Or, even worse, Mister Khan! We're never gonna secure that deal with him now! You FOOLS!"

Nina doesn't get angry often, but these guys had really pushed the right buttons, and there was now a fierce expression on her otherwise cute face. With no other means of fighting back, she resorts to grabbing a big rock, she is far too late to throw it at the car with the gorilla, but the gator seems to be with them from the way he's talking, so she hurls it at him with all her might, yelling as she throws. "Yeah, get the hell out of here and don't come back!" She then quickly ducks back behind cover as sense comes to her a bit too late and she wonders if she just poured lighter fluid on a fire that was burning out.

Out like a light. Nanaki would grin in satisfied defiance after his quick one-two combination knocked the impudent rhino thug out and laid him flat on the ground, but there was hardly any time to spare. He saw how the rhino's gun discharged and somehow managed to hit the car, making it spin out of control and miss their intended target. All very fortunate series of affairs, but Nanaki had learned never to lower his guard until the enemy has been completely neutralized. "Is everyone alright!?" He yelled as he ran back to the group, catching sight of Nina yelling angrily and trying to hurl a rock at the fleeing gator and his posse, which he could hardly blame her for that. The wolf/lion scanned the group quickly and not certain if there would be a second wave he made sure that at least everyone was in tip top shape. "Hold still for a second. Curaga." He pointed at Louis with his tail which glowed with a blue light and healed him of his wounds first.

The sheer rage behind that thrown rock causes it to whistle before it impacts squarely with the back of Trader Moe's noggin. He falls forward and right into a puddle, then thrashes about in a tantrum before the gorilla can pick him up to carry him off. The rhino goes over to drag the other rhino away, as well. For as dangerous as the situation may be, there's something absurd about the displayed departure. Free clicks the gun a few more times, then snaps out of it and punches the swiss-made car in anger as the thugs get away.

While well-meaning, Nanaki's directed healing magic is obstructed by the half-dressed lump of lion covering nearly all of the deer underneath him save for those antlers. Dolph is the one to get Curagaed, but he needs it more anyway. Such magic won't do much for Louis' mangled leg anyway. "Dolph," comes a muffled sound. "I find you useful, but I don't like you quite this much." With immediate danger passed, such positioning now is very awkward. That's not a place that Louis would prefer his face to be pressed against.

"Are you all right, Boss? I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" asks the large lion as he pushes up and away from the prone deer. He doesn't yet notice that he's no longer bleeding or hurting. Adrenaline still runs strong.

"I'm fine. What about Nina and her friend?" Slowly, Louis sits up and gets his bearings. The place is in shambles. An absolute battlefield. And his briefcase? Louis espies the case with holes in it, opened, and any paperwork within long shredded or scattered to the winds. He sighs. Then there's his right leg and foot...

Seeing as Nanaki was more concerned about healing others than trying to get such attention himself, it would seem to indicate he was alright. Nina herself emerges from cover after the thugs make their escape, still sporting a tail and looking mad/annoyed, but doesn't appear to have a scratch on her, just a bit dirty. The problems with wearing a white dress. She would have asked if Louis was OK but Dolph beat her to it, she gives a slight smile to hear he's okay, but it fades quickly. "I had heard this city had its moments, but this looks like a warzone..."

With the gunmen gone from the scene, other people begin to filter back into the open from their hiding places. People begin talking again. A few cars drive through, slowly, avoiding the wrecks along the way. Dolph and Free take a moment to communicate their status and lack of ammo, Dolph steps beyond to walk toward where Nina is located, and Free does his best to reassure the public with a wide-armed posture and a cocksure grin while his gun hangs from a finger by the trigger guard.

"I've seen worse," admits Dolph to the dolphin girl.

Louis, as usual, feels very alone. No matter how hard he tries to work toward keeping the peace and making things better for others, it seems he always winds up falling into yet another pit of violence. With a sigh, the buck pulls up his tattered right pantleg and works on disconnecting his prosthetic now that it's in disrepair. Using the metal shape of a damaged foot, Louis pushes himself up and onto one leg, hobbles a bit closer to a tree, then leans against it.

"I don't know who this Trader Moe guy is, but I'm far more interested in this person of whom they were claiming these businesses. Who the hell is this Mister Khan anyway?"

The car slowly rolling through comes to an eased stop. It's a black limousine. The far back passenger-side window, already half-open, begins to lower further through silent motors and a voice within speaks. "I believe I can answer that." It's far too dark within the car to see who speaks and this approach alone, after what just happened, makes Free nearly trip over his own feet to hurry to Louis' side. No more gunfire, though. The only sound is the driver door opening. A black panther chauffeur dressed for the job steps out and begins to walk around and down the long length of the car. It's more than enough time for everyone to focus attention.

Nina tenses up too as the limo pulls up suddenly and coincidentally right as Louis asks about who the boss of Trader Moe was, but with no further gunfire coming, she relaxes a bit and focuses with the others on who the panther is about to reveal as the man with answers to Louis' question. She also finally shifts back to her human form while everyone is focused on the limo, and moves a bit closer so she has a better view and can hear what's going on over the clamor of the crowd.

Dolph, too, follows along with Nina to join Free while Louis stares intently at the blackness beyond the open window not with awe or fear, but with the gaze of one hungry Carnivore meeting the stare of another. The deer may be crippled, but that doesn't stop him from wearing his no-nonsense on his dirtied sleeves. The panther reaches the open-windowed door, but he does not open it. Instead, a hand extends through the opening holding stiff-paper stationery. The hand itself is furred, orange and white and feline, and the claws show. Behind the wrist is the lining of a white sleeve enveloped by the sleeve of a navy blue blazer. The very detail of such a handing-off of this note is done with finesse and elegance and an extended little finger. The chauffeur takes the note, the hand withdraws, and the note is presented to Louis in turn.

"Mister Khan does cordially invite you to a personal appointment at the stated address, date, and time wherein to discuss matters fiscal. Should you wish to do business with Mister Khan you are advised to not be late or your appointment will be subject to cancellation. He further advises the general public to worry not over this latest altercation. A sizable donation has already been made in order to facilitate repairs so that all may go on about their daily lives."

Louis holds out his hand to take it, yet his stare never once leaves the window. ''How infuriatingly arrogant this man must be,'' the deer can't help but think. "Be sure to let Mister Khan know that if Khan Industries wishes to engage in a business partnership with Horns Conglomerate, we'll take the invitation into great consideration, but I would be remiss to act without first consulting my Board of Directors. I'm sure he understands that eagerness is weakness and ignorance is foolish."

A very ''very'' poshly enunciated, "Indeed," comes from the person beyond the window before the window rises and the driver begins his long walk back around to his door and seat. Slowly, the car pulls away and whispers from the public immediately whip up.

Free mouths the words 'the fuck'.

Nina watches the exchange and is in disbelief as well that this wasn't information on who Khan was as much as an invitation to meet him. She nods in agreement with Free's expression of 'wtf' and mutters to herself as she makes her way closer still to Louis. "Smells like a trap, even if it's more the business sort of trap than the 'abduct you and hold you for ransom/kill you' sort of trap. Though I maybe it can be both..." She muses with a shake of her head.

Louis sighs.

"That's business for you," he comments after a beat. He next turns to face the direction where his lion companions and no-longer-a-dolphin acquaintance stand. He looks wearied, but he refuses to show exhaustion in front of everybody else. "I think it's safe to assume we can leave, given what was just said. It sounds as if there's a cover-up in play and the only way we'll learn more is if I visit this guy. I'm no fool. I've had to talk business with the most ruthless of Carnivores, so I'm not worried, but I don't for one moment think he has anything other than monetary acquisition in mind. So long as there's that, arrogant as he may be, I'm sure we'll be the best of friends."

Louis stumbles as his left leg grows weak for a moment and he very nearly falls, yet Dolph is there to catch him. "Free, call a cab. We'll get Louis to the hotel where he can freshen up and change clothes."

"Yeah, no worries. I'm on it."

The buck looks to Nina. "It would seem coffee is off for now, but you can come visit the Hotel instead and we'll stop by the house cafe. If you want. Bring your friend, perhaps."

Nina frowns a bit at Louis' response about that being business and what the invitation really means. But she tries to put that out of her mind as that was something for Louis to deal with and it seemed both that he had it in hand, and that it was unlikely she would be joining him to face this Kahn fellow. She is disappointed that her real meeting with Louis would need to be put wait for a bit but she certainly understands why, and hey, maybe this hotel also has a nice pool, that'd be a plus. "Sure, his name is Nanaki, I thought he might like to meet you."

"Nanaki? Mm." From a cursory glance Louis or the lions might think Nanaki to be some sort of hybrid animal with a unique shape, something akin to another animal they know with similar legs and physiological features. "Of course. I'm sure I can talk staff into making it all worth our while."

Dolph softly asks Louis something, but the response is a firm shake of the head. He has no intention of being carried. He's content to stand (with assistance) until the taxi arrives. "It's really a shame, you know." A flick of the nose in the direction of the now ruined Vegan coffee shop store face directs to the focus of his commentary. "I hope they get going again soon. At least it's good to know they have Herbivore-friendly options elsewhere. If you spot any, Nina, be sure to point them out."

|}}

2022-01-04 Of Malls and Meetings

2022-03-10T00:36:51Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Of Malls and Meetings |Summary=Lillia Amaryllis drops by the head office of Horns Conglomerate to speak with Louis the Red Deer where she encounters Agata..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Of Malls and Meetings
|Summary=Lillia Amaryllis drops by the head office of Horns Conglomerate to speak with Louis the Red Deer where she encounters Agata the Congo Lion that has just been given a new task.
|Who=[[Agata]], [[Amaryllis]], [[Louis]]
|Date=January 04, 2022
|Where=Horns Conglomerate Head Office, Kazoku Shopping Mall
|Log=

"Welcome to Horns Conglomerate, ma'am," greets the receptionist at the main counter just within the entrance to the rather famous head offices for the beast of a financial institution known the island nation over. The female deer looks up from her computer monitor and provides the same professional courtesy to the fawn recently entered as she does everybody else. However, instead of asking what she can do for her, the receptionist glances over to a list of little paper notes kept to one side. "Mister Louis isn't in right now or I'd let him know. He took the day off." She barely passes a glance back over the desk to Lillia before looking right back at her screen. The phone rings. She answers. "Thank you for calling Horns Conglomerate. Ah, yes, very good. No, your appointment is still scheduled for nine that day. Yes."

The place is busy. It's not noisy busy. There aren't a ton of animals walking around. But it's just ''busy''. A stag steps out of the main elevator, on his phone, with a well-dressed lion in tow. It's not a lion that Lillia has seen yet, however, but it would be the only Carnivore visible there on the main floor. Strange how the buck keeps lions in suits around, even when he's not around. "Of course, sir." The lion, Agata, knows the deer. That's Hartford. He's one of assistant executives and has been with the company since Oguma, Louis' father, first started it. "I'll be sure to let your personal security know. They've had little to do today with you out." The tall stag with an impressive set of antlers passes a glance to Agata. "Yes, sir. I believe I see one of them now." Six inches away, at that. "Shall I send him over to assist you at the mall, Mister Louis?"

Lillia nods as the doe receptionist tells her that Louis isn't here, and is turning to head out when a stag and a lion she is indeed yet to meet steps out of the elevator. At first glance she thought it might have been Louis, but no, it was a different stag, and of course she then overhears the phone conversation with her rather large ears, and recognizes Louis' voice. She steps closer and looks up at the stag, biting her lip nervously. "Um, excuse me sir, is there some sort of trouble at the mall? I was looking to meet Louis today."

One of Agata's ears flick as he listens in on the conversation, having had the pleasure of keeping Hartford company while his boss is away on a trip to the mall. He still didn't understand why the deer went ahead without so much as letting him provide company. Then again, Louis has always been the type to prove his worth in the most rash of ways possible so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise to him. As he stood in anticipation, waiting for the go ahead, his head turns to the sound of someone speaking, coming to land his gaze on a hybrid. At first glance, he raises an eyebrow until his eyes widened then shortly thereafter return to a normal state in just a matter of seconds. "Oh, hey, you must be Lillia. You're in luck, we're about to go meet him right now in fact."

Hartford pulls the phone from his ear and covers it with his free hand as he looks over at Lillia when she approaches. It's very unprofessional, but it only takes a moment to see that she's not the typical type of clientele to come in for business negotiations. "Excuse me, what? I'm very sorry, but I'm on the phone with Mister Louis the Red Deer, our CEO, so- Wait a moment." Uncovering the phone and looking to Agata, the tall stag speaks to the deer on the other end of the line once more.

"I apologize, sir, but there's a young lady here to see you at the office. Did one of your appointments not get moved?" Agata takes the lead in replying to the fawn, however, leaving the tall older business-faced deer to listen to the words of his boss while looking between the other two. "Oh, I see. Well, Mister Agata has volunteered to play chauffeur. Of course, sir. Yes, sir. I'll see that others have it ready before tomorrow morning." Hartford tucks the phone between his head and shoulder and uses a hand to pull back his jacket and shirt sleeves to check a very expensive-looking watch. "It was nine o'clock as I recall. Yes, sir. Yes and enjoy the rest of your day, Mister Louis." The call is ended and the phone slipped into an inside jacket pocket.

Turning away, the stag briefly nods to Agata. "I need to drive out to Haku-to and back. Louis is at the mall in the town center, down the street from B-Strike, and may need some relief transporting packages from what I gather. Safe driving...Agata." Off the stag wanders to leave the two to whatever arrangement they work out. It's none of his business and he has far more expensive things to see after before the business day is up. City Center? By car that's about a fifteen minute drive if traffic is lenient. By train it'd be closer to 10, but Louis needs personal transportation.

Lillia eyes the watch curiously, it was fancy and shiny. But it was clear that this stag had other things to attend to, and the lion had taken the initiative to talk to her. She'd likely have been more nervous talking to Agata if she hadn't spent a few occasions around here meeting Louis and the rest of his guards, and he seemed as friendly toward her as the others so she greets him with a smile. "Oh really? That's great! Can I come too? Maybe I can help even, I can carry some packages, as long as they're not super heavy." She of course had no idea what driving was, she's seen cars sure, but the context was lost on her. "Oh, and yes, I am Lillia, I guess I'm kinda hard to miss around here..."

Watching Hartford walk away, Agata returns his attention to Lillia with a bright and proud smile as he nods. "Yeah, you can come! The more, the merrier! And you can leave the heavy packages to me." He says with a wink, then wanders over to the wide double doors of the building's entrance, peering out the stainless glass to see the parked car that is often used for trips and the like. Pushing one of them open, he looks back and motions with a clawed hand for Lillia to follow before exiting and crossing the distance to climb inside the vehicle.

Lillia chuckles a bit as Agata says she can leave the heavy packages for him, well then it seems they have a plan. "Sure! You do look pretty strong, but I guess that makes sense cause you're a lion." She comments as she follows him to the entrance and out the door, letting out an 'Eeep!' as the door smacks her on the rear when she doesn't move through it quick enough. She looks back, and takes a deep breath. "Sorry..." Finally, she follows to the car, and looks at it incredulously. She watches Agata get inside, and after a bit of fumbling she does manage to open the passenger door. "Um, I've never been inside one of these strange metal carriages... I don't think I'd fit in this seat very well though..."

Agata lifts an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder to the back space of the car to find it incredibly spacious and then back to her with a reassuring smile. "Oh no, there's plenty of room! Plenty of vehicles are built for larger animals in mind so this wouldn't be much trouble at all."

Lillia looks to the back seat, then back at Agata, and laughs. "Oh, right, that does look better. Still not a very big place compared to the buildings, but... I guess it's just for a little bit, and the windows open too right?" She asks as she moves to open one of the rear doors. The fawn might be a touch claustrophobic. Still, she begins climbing into the seat, it's not easy getting her four long legs into the car without falling, but she manages to get up onto the seat after a bit of struggling and shuffles forward, getting her rump fully in. "Um, could use a little help with the door now I think..."

Agata blinks rapidly for a few seconds after watching her climb into the back seat of the car, now realizing that despite its size, her anatomy makes things a tad difficult. It takes him a moment to reel himself back to reality on the question that was voiced and he jolts, pressing a button for the windows to be rolled down before coming out to close the rear door. After doing this, he gets back into the driver seat, closes the door shut, takes out a set of keys to turn on the engine and drives toward their destination.

Lillia is now experiencing her first car ride, and she's not really sure how to feel about it. On one hand, it was kind of scary that they were going faster than she could ever hope to run, but on the other, the view out the window as things whizzed past was kind of amazing, and surely this big metal shell around them would provide some protection if they were to hit something, right? "I've uh... never been in one of these before... Though I guess that might have been obvious? You're one of Louis's bodyguards right?"

Agata nods with a beaming smile while keeping eye contact on the road. "Yup, and one of the friendliest! Well, that might apply to Free more than me. Heh, but who's counting, right?" He chuckles as he takes in the view. Traffic was especially light today. "Hope you don't mind, but my boss filled me in on what happened with you and a goat called Junji. It surprised me, and still does...are you alright?"

Lillia nods, turning from the view to look at Agata, though she is still watching the world blur past out of the corner of her eye as she talks with Agata. "You all do seem pretty friendly, I'm not sure what I expected from a group of lions with a deer as their boss, but I'm glad I met you and Louis. As for what happened to me, it was very scary and I probably did get in over my head, but I'm fine, I'm sure it could have gone a lot worse, but thankfully it didn't... Maybe I should get some guards, though I'm not sure how I'd pay them." She half jokes.

Agata giggles and turns right at an intersection. "Hey, if my boss would ever allow it, I'd make sure you're safe whenever possible. Free of charge!" his smile grows wide at that, stretching from ear to ear. "But it's good to know you're okay. Not a lot of herbivores or hybrids come out of attacks like that and still be stable after. Which...by the way, I've never really seen someone like you before. Despite what boss told me, it was almost hard to believe. Uh, sorry if that was rude."

Lillia smiles and giggles right along with Agata, her smile growing as well at the offer that he'd protect her free of charge, assuming Louis would allow it, since he was the boss. She doesn't really want to think about how bad things can go for herbivores getting attacked and coming out mentally scarred let alone physically. So she gravitates to the mention of her appearance being hard to believe. "Oh no, I don't mind at all. I'm not from around here at all, so I don't think calling me a hybrid really tells the whole story. To be completely honest, it is likely there isn't another quite like me, at least, not that came to being in the same way."

"Yeah, I can agree with you there." He says and softly hums, tapping a finger on the steering wheel as he turns another corner, coming close to their destination. "Well, you have me curious to know where you're actually from! And I think boss mentioned another thing about you, umm...something about dreams?" It was still a lot to process that kind of information when it was told, the concept of possible magic being completely alien to him.

Lillia nods, and is happy to tell about where she's from. "I come from a land called Distant Oceans, more specifically, from a grove within the Enchanted Forest." She considers explaining that her mother is a tree, but considering how well it went over when she mentioned magic, she decides not to blow Agata's mind unless he specifically asks, if he does she's not going to make up some lie, fearing that will only make the truth more damaging when it comes out. At the mention of dreams, she again tries to explain while avoiding the M word. "Well, you might say I have a special gift for helping others sleep and also dream better."

"Hmm...an enchanted forest and you're from a land called Distant Oceans. Sounds pretty far from here." Agata scans the area as they arrive in the city center, having spotted the specific mall Louis is in. Without taking too much time, he finds a suitable spot and parks the car, turning off the engine. "And since you said you're a specialist..." he looks over his shoulder, pupils dilating to big round orbs and ears flattening on his skull. "Do you think you could help me dream of silver vine more? I love the actual stuff but dreaming about it makes it so exciting!"

Lillia nods, and as Agata parks the car starts trying to figure out how she's going to get out of this car after how much trouble she had getting in. "It is pretty far away yes. It's on the other side of the great river which separates Center City and Distant Oceans. As for your dreams, I might be able to help, but you'll have to pardon my ignorance, what is silver vine?"

Agata pockets the car keys and steps out, coming around to unlock the rear door before reaching with an outsretched hand to help. "It's a plant we cats like. Basically, in the most simple way I can describe it is that, well...I'll be more happy and affectionate." He clears his throat, ears flattening again as his eyes look elsewhere. "If you ever feel like it, I can show you some products and stores that have it around. Pretty legal too."

Lillia takes Agata's hand, appreciative of the help and has a much easier time getting out than she had getting in. "Oh, I see. Why would a plant be illegal?" She wonders, then laughs and shakes her head. "I still have so much to learn about the world I guess. Anyway, should we go find Louis?"

This shopping mall is fairly sizable, but there are a few larger ones in the city. Still, this one is noted for being fairly central with easier access. Two floors of commerce and food and fun. Not a lot of families visit all together; most of the shoppers seem to be fairly young, young adults, and even some children. There is an air of sophistication aside from the youthful energy, though; nobody talks too loud or bothers other customers, the floors are clean and shiny or well-swept, and local mall constabularies are happy to help anybody that needs it. Still, it's big enough that somebody like Louis could be most anywhere.

Agata nods, keeping himself close by to Lillia as he steps inside. Without even so much as missing a beat, he whips out his phone to call Louis. While the building wasn't exactly much in comparison to other malls that are the size of one or two put together and then some, it wouldn't take much to easily get lost if one weren't careful. "Hopefully he's not far."

Lillia walks with Agata, and doesn't try to stray from him, so it shouldn't be hard to stick close to her. She is quiet for the moment, and tries to avoid attracting attention as much as possible, though for her it's probably inevitable. She is curious as well, gazing around the mall as this is her first time being in one. As Agata attempts to call Louis and says hopefully he isn't far, Lillia nods. "Hopefully. So many others here it'd be hard to find him unless we know where to look."

At first there's no answer, but finally the connection clicks and a voice is heard on the other end. There are animals talking nearby, as well. "Agata." There's a pause and then the deer's voice comes from behind the muffling of a hand over the phone. "Just one moment, dearest. Oh, yes. Yes, it is the 'hired help'. Of course."

Louis' voice comes through clear once again, albeit in a hushed tone. "Agata, we're by the Hayari Boutique." We? "Floor up, west corner, near the men no yaki vendor." What's with the defeated sigh that follows? As far as going up, escalators might be a unique challenge for some, but there are some lifts instead with plenty of distractions along the way.

Agata slowly raises an eyebrow from the sigh and soft tone before schooling his features. "All right, we'll be on our way." He hangs up the phone and turning to Lillia with a small smile. "Okay so, we have directions. And as much as it's easier to go on the escalator...it wouldn't be much fun for you so we're going by lift. Come on!" He turns on his heel and walks to the area he just mentioned, having been here quite a few times already.

Lillia has never seen an escalator or a lift before, so she'll have to take Agata's word for it. She nods and promptly follows Agata, having no trouble keeping up even if he picks up the pace, but curiosity does soon get the better of her. "So... what's an escalator, and lift?"

Agata lets out a soft hum as he thinks on it. The former would be a little difficult to explain, though the latter wouldn't as they're heading directly to the thing. "An escalator is sort of a platform with a moving staircase going up one way and down on the other side." His eyes roams around the area for a moment until spotting the exact mechanism and points to his left. Animals were standing in place as they slowly ascended and descended, the metal stairs moving them before stepping off the platform. "As for a lift..."

His steps take him to a rectangular shaped box in the nearby distance, framed with a white exterior and stainless glass. One could see a panel off to the side with buttons to press, the size of it seeming more than enough to fit him and Lillia.

Lillia blinks as Agata points out the escalator while explaining what it is. "Oh... Yeah, I don't like stairs, and moving stairs would probably be a disaster for me to try to use... As for the lift, I just remembered I actually did ride on one of them, at the hospital... Though this one looks a lot more fancy, with the glass walls and all, I guess they want you to enjoy the view of the mall, and maybe see where you're going to go next?"

The lion nods, fangs showing as he smiled. "Yeah, that's the whole purpose of it! It's why I like riding these more than the other type that's closed in. Getting to see where I'm going while enjoying the view of everything makes it worthwhile, as silly as it sounds." He chuckles as he comes to a stop in front of the lift, pressing a button to open the glass double doors and steps inside.

Lillia follows Agata into the lift as the glass doors open, making sure she's all the way in and her tail has cleared the door, thankfully she discovered the first time at the hospital that the door wouldn't close on her, somehow it could tell she was still blocking it. She looks out through the glass as the lift rises, and asks another question that she's been curious about for a while now. "So, how did all you lions and Louis meet anyway?"

Agata's eyes widen, the visible fur bristling as he's taken aback by the question before clearing his throat and smooths down his pelt. "Oh, well that's...umm...a wild story." He chuckles while rubbing the back of his head. It would be extremely difficult to tell her what really happened, seeing as how the actual events would be too much to handle, let alone push back on the small budding friendship that's currently blossoming.

Blossoming like the bud on Lillia's head, into a bright golden flower, it does tend to do that when she's excited, or using her magic. "Oh, do I sense that it's also a long story? Maybe you guys and Louis can tell me some other time." She says with a grin and goes back to looking through the glass, but soon the lift stops as it's reached the upper floor, and Lillia exits the lift first, then waits for Agata to come out and lead the way.

"Yeah, that's something you'll need to sit down for." The lion says as he steps out of the lift and moves ahead, his confident yet long strides making way to where Louis is located. "I will say that we do care about him, though that could already be obvious, heh."

Nearing the location mentioned, the men no yaki -- fried noodles -- vendor is nearby with an open-air iron hot plate, called a teppan, where the mongoose behind it cooks aromatic snacks for passersby. Many groups of people are about, mostly slowly walking along while they mill about heading to whichever location their hearts desire next, although one gathering seems a bit larger than most. Within the middle stand two deer, one with antlers, beside a malamute guard dressed in mall security uniform. Various other animals stand around and the deer seem to be talking between a number of the animals while the malamute keeps a close eye on everyone present.

The buck of the pair is dressed in a slightly over-sized sweater with a big woolen scarf around his neck. They have cozy colorations, especially for being post-Rexmas, lacking that celebratory edge that the main body of the holiday season dictates. The doe, however, is garbed in a stunning and well-fitted silk dress that shimmers between red and orange depending on the light, golden bangles, and green emerald dangling earrings. Louis nods and speaks, although waht he says is lost to the conversational ambiance. At least at first.

"Well, I think so. It's important to be respectful of our differences, even when they can be scary."

The doe adds, "That's why Horns Conglomerate is paving the way for universal acceptance."

"Y,yes," stumbles the buck as the doe brings the company into it. "But it's our hope that others will follow in our footsteps. Not just other businesses, but individuals, too."

Lillia smiles as she and Agata approach the spot where Louis is at, and with a very beautiful doe she must admit. She is a little taken aback at the scent of friend food, it was a bit overpowering for her, but not altogether unpleasant. As for the conversation, she wonders what they had been talking about hearing the statement out of context, but she agrees with the sentiment, acceptance of others is always something to strive for in her opinion.

Agata's nose wiggles from the almost intoxicating scent of food assaulting his senses. He'll have to buy something for himself later. With a small frown, his gaze lingers on the formed crowd until relaxing at the sight of the malamute standing guard next to his boss. Still, he moves to be a little closer just in case something were to happen.

"A,and if somebody is mean to other animals, you can have them get beat up!" chimes one youth. Most find this amusing, although all eyes turn to Louis anyway. Even the doe seems to leave this to the buck to respond.

With a light chuckle, Louis says, "It's not really that simple, I'm afraid. Compassion is more important than punishment."

"Just like the Beastar!" says another youth to the first. "He swoops in with thunder kicks and laser eyes."

"Nuh uh," objects the first. "We don't have a Beastar anymore. Father said he quit."

"No way! I seen him beat up people the other day on my way home from school. Your dad is a liar!"

One of the adults in the group speaks up to break up the sudden argument. "Boys, this is no way to behave in front of Mister Louis the Red Deer. Now apologize."

The buck and doe pass a look between themselves. The doe seems very amused, the buck slightly less so. "We- We're sorry, Mister Louis."

"But you do have people that can beat up bad guys now. I seen them on TV back when they was in jail."

The murmur at present makes it seem there's going to be some explanation required from Louis, but the focus of the entire crowd suddenly shifts when the other young boy points a finger and excitedly announces Agata's arrival. "Look, there's one of them now!"

Lillia just quietly grins slightly at first. She's seen what some of Louis's guards can do. They may be friendly and polite most of the time, but they are certainly a large part of the reason she escaped that night she attempted to help that goat, with only a claw wound, and not much more. "Oh boy, you're famous." She whispers as she leans a bit closer to Agata.

Agata blinks a few times, having suddenly stopped in his tracks from all eyes staring at him. "Uhh...that's one way of putting it." He whispers back to her as his gaze flicks rapidly from Louis, then to the crowd. Maybe he should have stayed behind or something.

The doe seems to trust in the buck's judgment and for a moment Louis smiles through the awkwardness while his mind races for the correct angle of approach. "Perfectly on cue, might I present to you both Agata and Lillia." A hand gestures, arm lifting, in their direction as stares continue. "Many of you are familiar with Agata already and the fact that he and his associates are now under the employ of Horns Conglomerate. Some of you may question why convicted felons would be placed in a position so close to somebody like me. I assure you, they have served time for their charges and are a stunning example of how we can see reform in the wake of the abolishing of underworld dens like the former Black Market."

Some of the animals present cringe even still at those words, at that name, while Louis has little difficulty presenting it for all present to hear.

"Agata and the other Carnivores that have recently joined the employment or partnership with Horns Conglomerate are, as my lovely wife has already stated, demonstrative in the paving of the road for social acceptance in integration and the fight against special bias." That's 'of species' special, not 'unique' special. "While Lillia here, though Hybrid in appearance, is actually a unique species hailing from another country. She has an interest in our top notch educational institution and, for that reason, our fight against bias can result in a welcoming atmosphere not only for our children, but for our foreign peers, as well."

"Let's have a round of applause for these shining examples of what it means to be a positive influence and a beacon of our hope for a future of peace and prosperity here in our wonderful city and our great nation." While the two deer begin to clap first, others join in soon enough. Even the young ones, that don't fully understand, get excited and clap along, too.

Oh boy, now she gets to share the spotlight as well. Lillia awkwardly smiles, her tail twitching nervously. She resists the part of her that wants to go run and hide however, and gives a small, shy wave, swallowing hard as she decides to further Louis' introduction of her. "Um, hi, yes I am from a place called Distant Oceans. It is a quieter place, without all the technology, so I have had much to learn, and still do, as I've visited new places. I am excited to learn more about this city, and those that call it home."

Smiling just as awkward from spontaneously being put on the spotlight, Agata gives a smile and waves toward the crowd. Speaking in front of a large pool of people was definitely not his strong suit so he opts to stay silent and let his boss continue with his spectacular speech.

However, there's not much more speech to be had. The applause is notably brief, yet warm. During this time wherein the two newcomers to the gathering have stolen the focus of the crowd, the buck gives the helpful constable a glance and a faint nod. The malamute nods knowingly in return before taking a single step forward. "This has been wonderful for us all, but with all respect given we must break things up and move along. Louis and Azuki the Red Deers have other things to do and places to be no matter how much they enjoy the publicity." This statement makes Louis avert his gaze while Azuki straightens her posture in pride.

The crowd begins to slowly disperse. A few step up to offer the deer couple polite bows in greeting and words of various encouragements. One of the children runs over to Agata and Lillia and stares up at the tall lion with wide eyes before balling up a fist in determination. "You better keep Mister Louis safe cuz he's gotta learn how to shoot lasers from his eyes first and then he's gonna be able to be the next Beastar. We're counting on you!"

Called away immediately by a parent, the kid is off again and soon the two deer are slowly walking over to join lion and fawn instead. "That happened," remarks Louis.

Lillia looks down as a child runs up to her and Agata. She smiles a bit at what she says to Agata and after the girl is called back by her parents, she looks over to Agata and giggles a little. "Kids have... quite an imagination, don't they?" She remarks, guessing/hoping that Louis wasn't about to be learning to shoot lasers out of his eyes, if that were true she has a lot more to learn, and perhaps a lot more to fear, about this place. As the two red deer approach, she nods, grinning a bit at Louis. "I guess it did..." She agrees, looking noticeably relieved that the crowd was dispersing and she didn't have to do any more public speaking.

Agata blinks as the child runs up to him, a warm smile soon replacing his mild shock at what is said before they run off to their parent. He turns to Lillia with a nod and chuckle. "Yeah, they do, but that's what makes the world interesting. At least, in my eyes."

He glances over toward the two deer with a small smirk on his freckled muzzle. "Bound to when you put someone like me under the spotlight. A nice presentation though."

"Not exactly my first time," sighs the buck. "But, it's nice to be able to say the things that people need to hear." Gesturing with a hand toward Agata and Lillia, "Still, Lillia, you did well for being thrust into the spotlight. Agata, well, no need to clam up so tightly. I trust the words that would come from your mouth won't be that embarrassing." Unlike, say, Free whom enjoys speaking his mind at all times. "All the same; Lillia, meet my lovely wife, Azuki. Azuki, meet Lillia."

The doe's words are soft, yet clear. Her posture is professional, well-practiced, and unwavering. Placing her hands against her thighs, she offers a very traditional (and arguably old-fashioned) bow. "A pleasure to meet you. Louis says you are a foreign scholar although I heard one of his hired hands gossiping about a sleep specialist that matches your description very closely."

The buck's gaze drifts from Lillia to Agata. Gossiping in front of the wife? There's a silent question, although it ''was'' Jinma present that one night.

Lillia gives an awkward smile as Louis compliments her for how she addressed the crowd after being thrust in the spotlight. "I don't know what came over me, not long ago I would have gone running for somewhere to hide... Maybe I borrowed some of Agata's confidence," she half-jokes. In all seriousness, she did feel safe being near him, which was still a bit strange when she thinks about it more deeply, since he's still a predator, however clearly an example that at least in this city, they are not all like the ones she met near that dark alley.

She is broken from her internal thoughts as Louis introduces her to Azuki, and she smiles warmly, attempting to mimic her bow as best she can. "I don't think anyone has actually called me a scholar before, I'm but a curious girl in search of answers, if that makes me a scholar, then I guess I am! As for the sleep thing, I have some... shall we say, special talents when it comes to dreams."

Agata's eyes shift to Louis, if only briefly to tell him that he didn't breathe a word around Azuki before his muzzle lifted upward into a smile. "I'll try not to do that next time, boss."

He turns to Lillia and chuckles again at the half joke. "Hey, you can borrow it at anytime, free of charge! Good to know it helped though."

His attention then turned to Azuki, the smile disappearing into a neutral state as he curtly bowed his head.

"Wonderful!" interjects Azuki. "There has been some discussion on foreign student exchange with a sponsorship program and Horns Conglomerate would be thrilled to have such a unique animal with specialized talent representing that effort. As I believe was said, we can make no promises, but we'll do what we can. Isn't that right, Louis?"

"That's a bit thick, but of course. Naturally, this is something that requires working with a university directly over. As much as it would inflate the ego of our local university to have me push for enrollment there, seeing as I currently attend classes there, it greatly depends on the area of study," explains the buck. "It's complicated, but all in all I'll see-"

"We," corrects Azuki with a kind smile.

"We'll see what we can do." Louis turns to Azuki. "Now, dearest, Agata is here to pick me up and I believe you have an engagement to attend? As much as I would enjoy spending more time browsing the shop's windows with you-"

"It would be an inefficient use of company time. I know. I understand." Azuki looks underneath her wrist to glance at the face of her watch to check the time. "That impromptu publicity speech took longer than I thought it might. I best hurry." Fingers with detailed nails lift to wiggle a soft-spoken farewell to Lillia. Agata is overlooked, but their family often has lots of worker bees buzzing about. It's habit.

Azuki taking her leave, Louis adjusts his scarf and dips his face lower as he begins walking the opposite direction just slimly passing between Agata and Lillia in the process. He sighs audibly. "Let's go before she remembers her appointment is tomorrow," he whispers to both.

Lillia is a bit surprised when Azuki mentions talk of making her a sponsored exchange student representing the efforts of Horns Conglomerate. Has Louis started the process of pulling some strings for her? Of course this would mean even more to her if she had any concept of how expensive it is to attend a university, sadly she is mostly ignorant, though she is starting to catch on that just about everything in civilized society costs something. Brings new understanding as to why so many people dream of having lots of money. "I, uh... thank you. I will try my best." And hopefully avoid disappointing or embarrassing her generous benefactors if this goes to fruition. Louis has hopefully grasped by now that his smart yet naive four-legged friend is likely to need some very good tutors.

She quickly turns to follow Louis as moves in the other direction, blinking as he mentions that Azuki actually doesn't have an appointment today. "Why did you tell her she had one then?..." She questions curiously.

The lion follows alongside them, his voice low as he regards Lillia. "In order for boss here to have some peace of mind as his wife is...a bit of a handful."

And much more from the times he's been present whenever she was around. If there was any way to aptly put it, Azuki was like a raging storm waiting to happen if nothing went according to plan, though that title could also refer to Louis. She has business sense, just like her husband so there was that going for her.

"Technically, it was a question and not a statement," comes the immediate answer from the young male deer. What with how he's dressed all casually and relaxed, Louis doesn't attract nearly as much attention as if he were in full formal dress. Therein, he keeps his face lowered while attempting to keep a neutral smile on his face. "I'm not going to talk ill about my wife in public, though. That's rude. If I have to explain myself it's going to be in the car."

It's very clear that Louis is aiming to make an exit as swiftly as possible, although for Lillia it's going to most certainly require using the lift. "Speaking of avoiding rudeness, it's great to see you two. Thank you for coming. You seem to be doing well, Lillia? And, Agata, I hope Hartford didn't give you too much trouble. Where were you parked? And- Wait. Lillia, did you ride with Agata on the way over from the office?"

So many different shops and vending machines go by with every few steps. It's a shame to not stop and browse, really, since shopping and relaxing was the entire reason Louis came to the mall in the first place.

Lillia still wasn't exactly sure why Louis needed to more or less trick Azuki in order to get some time alone, but she does accept Agata's answer without more questions, at least for now. She would have enjoyed browsing the mall indeed, in fact her eyes are already wandering to various things in the windows as they pass, but she doesn't slow down to check them out, not wishing to get left behind in a crowded mall.

As Louis speaks to her again, Lillia's attention is pulled from the display of a clothing store, this being her first time really taking notice of mannequins. "Oh, yes, I am doing fine. I ran into Agata when he was talking with Hartford... and I did ride over here from the office with Agata, in the back of the car. It was not the easiest thing to get in and out of, and I don't think I'd want to be stuck in the back of one for very long, but it did get us here much faster than I could have hoofed it, that's for sure!"

Agata smiles as he arrives at the parking decks just a little ways away from the mall, stretching as he steps out before coming over to the passenger side to open the door for Louis and Lillia. He extends an offering hand for her to take hold. "Thankfully it's a good day to do something like this."

Lillia smiles and takes Agata's offered hand, and with that helping hand makes her way into the backseat of the car, still finding it an awkward affair, but having a bit easier time than her first attempt at getting into a car, so at least she's learning. "Ok, I'm in, I think that went a little easier this time, but what are these for? Strapping people down so they can't get out of the car on their own?" She asks with a notably nervous tone while holding up one of the seat belts, having somehow missed noticing them on the first trip.

Outside of the mall, the acoustics are very different and the reverb of various conversation is lost to the open sky and the thrum of motor vehicles. The air is also colder, as to be expected for this time of year, which surely explains why Louis's casual warm wear so sharply contrasted with his wife's very formal attire. There's still no explanation as to what that was all about back there with her and the red deer doesn't seem particularly inclined to divulge it freely.

Much like his former days with what was once the Shishigumi, his associates at Horns Conglomerate might be inclined to open the car door for him on entry or exit. However, with Agata being preoccupied with helping the dream fawn get into the vehicle, he can open the left front door and get in all by himself. This isn't a business trip, after all. Not in the usual sense. The door closes securely and Louis is pulling the mystery strap over his lap even as the question is posited. "No, no, it's a safety measure to hold you in the seat in case we have to come to a sudden stop." The buckle clicks; next, Louis goes about pulling his scarf away from its windings about his neck. "Oof, it's cold in here, too." He never was any good with the cold. He uses the woolen scarf to bury his hands within for a bit of warmth (though for the average animal it's probably not that bad). "I appreciate you coming on short notice to pick me up. Hartford should be in Haku-to by now, judging by the time. I need to pick up something from the university. I know it's a lengthy drive. If we need more petrol, I'll just put it on the company account. It's still technically part of the business day."

A deer face, antlers and all, peers back from the front passenger-side seat to check on Lillia. "I'm glad you got scooped along. We can use the drive to talk. Agata can help me fill in the others later." Talk? Sounds serious. He offers a soft friendly smile, anyway, which is not the same kind of friendly smiling expression he used in that crowd. This one is different.

Closing the back door after seeing Lillia and Louis get inside and strap themselves in, Agata moves around to the driver's side and climbs in. Putting on his own seat belt, the lion turns on the engine, puts the car in reverse and is out on the road. His eyes glance over to the deer, taking notice of him shivering and turns on the heat at a level that's appropriate.

"It's no problem, boss."

Lillia looks very much relieved by Louis' answer about the seat belt, and after watching him buckle in, does the same for herself, though it does take her a moment to get the buckle to click in, she does both sides though since she's taking up the whole backseat anyway it made sense to her. While buckling in, she agrees. "It is a bit chilly, isn't it?" Though it doesn't seem to bother her, she's used to living outside and adapting to the weather.

She then looks up again at Louis as he mentions using the drive to talk. "Talk? Sure, but about what?" She asks simply out of curiosity, though anything to distract her from the fact she was in the confined space of the car was welcome.

Normally, a trip to the University from this district, by train, would be a twenty to thirty minute journey depending on one's timing in catching one close to arrival. By car, nearing the end of a business day, it will take longer, and that's one way. Louis turns around to face the windshield and stretches his left leg a bit to get cozy, yet reaches down to lift his right leg and adjust its position with a metal clank. "Considering we're to the local university, I'd like say it's about your interest in education. Actually, it's not about that at all."

The deer reaches out to turn the knob on the dashboard to turn on the radio. Unlike some places along the world, the vehicles in this nation don't typically have a lot of electronics in them. The radio in this car doesn't play digital tunes. Rather, with the push of a preset button, the radio does, in fact, play music decoded from radio waves: soft jazz.

((Music: https://youtu.be/qMSZ0moNJ08))

"Lillia, we haven't had a chance to really talk much since the night Junji was attacked, but we have time now. If you're willing. Could you do your best to explain to me -- to us -- why you're really here?" A glance is passed over to the driver. There's no guarantee either of them will understand fully, but their histories are steeped in magical and divine folklore and legend.

Giving a passing glance back to the deer, then to the rear view mirror above, Agata keeps his focus on the road.

He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't entirely curious on the reason for Lillia being here, though in part thankful for her help with the case of Junji. Still, there were questions that begged to be answered despite their histories in folklore legends.

"Oh... why? Hmm..." Lillia seems a little surprised by that question, she herself had expected Louis was going to talk about the University they were on their way toward. She looks out the window as the drive continues and takes a moment to think before eventually speaking again.

"I could just say that I wandered here because I'm curious and have been doing a lot of exploring of the world beyond where I'm from, but there is more to it than that. I do want to learn about other places, and cultures of people, but the other reason for my traveling is much more personal and important, of dire importance you might even say... I'm not sure if you'll even believe what I'm about to tell you either, but it is something I have only told a few friends I've made since I left the forest. I've also spent so much time around you both that it feels a little silly to ask, but can I trust you both to not share this with anyone, at least not without asking me first?"

"Clearly you can't just ask me if you trust me enough for that. Either you do or you would have outright refused to discuss it at all," answer the buck as he lets his gaze drift to the side window. Denko is huge and sprawling, street after street, block after block, building after building of residences and businesses. Signs for designations, advertising, either flat and mundane or through lights and neon, decorate much of the building space available. For those used to so much nature, the expanse of the city must be sobering if not overwhelming. The sidewalks are filled with animals of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Stop-light intersections may see Agata braking for a few minutes at a time. The simple black car driven by the young lion is lost in the sea of vehicles that fill the main roads. It's a vibrant place, really, filled with animals that have little idea of current events outside nation borders.

"You've already mentioned to Jinma that you had the ability to work with dreams. I've seen enough to say that I wouldn't put it past any animal developing such a power, but you aren't a native here. If it makes you feel any more comfortable understand that Agata, the other lions, and myself all have secrets we guard close to our hearts. We have experienced things that nobody you see out there on the sidewalks can ever possibly relate. Does that make us trustworthy? No. But... It makes us used to bearing burdens our peers would never understand."

Agata nods, his jovial smile disappearing for only a fraction of a second before coming back with a flick of his ears. "What boss here said. It's not really all that strange, so you're fine. Still holding you for that promise though!" He says with a small chuckle as he drives through the streets.

Lillia gives an awkward laugh at the initial response from Louis, her gaze transfixed on the sprawling city passing by through the window as the car drives along the river of road among all the other cars. "I guess you're right, and what I'm more asking is to keep this quiet because neither I nor the Garden of Dreaming would do well under a lot of extra attention. Anyway, this is probably easier if I start from the beginning." She takes a deep breath, and a moment to gather her thoughts.

"A lot of the animals here just think I'm some sort of hybrid, but I think both of you understand at least partly that since I'm from somewhere else, that may not be very accurate. The truth is I am, as far as I know, one of a kind. Deep within the Enchanted Forest, in the Distant Oceans region, there is a place called the Garden of Dreaming. It is called this because there is a very special tree there, which draws energy from the very dreams of those that live in the area, and also helps them to be remembered when they bloom as blossoms on her branches. One day, though neither I nor anyone else among the garden's protectors knows for sure why, the tree itself had a dream, and its bud fell to the ground before it could bloom. That blossom became me, or well, I guess I grew from it, it happened rather quickly and I don't remember exactly how it happened. The blossom is still on my head." She says as she points to the bud poking up through her hair, and as she gently touches it, blooms into a glowing golden flower.

"I think this is why I have a special power with dreams. I've never really understood how my magic works, but I can help others sleep easier, and have pleasant dreams instead of nightmares. Sometimes I've even entered the nightmares of others to help them conquer them." She gives that a moment to sink in before continuing. "This leads to the reason I left the garden to travel the world. The Dreaming Tree, she is sick. There have been fewer and fewer dream blossoms, while also sickly dark burls have been forming on her trunk. I am afraid that if I can't find the cause and put a stop to it, she will die."

Throughout the explanation, Agata listens with ears perked, digesting and processing the information that has been fed to him. In his life, he's experienced violence, bared witness to the mystical and plenty more that many wouldn't ever be able to see. One could be envious of such tales or be frightened, depending on the animal.

"Wow, umm, that's...kind of a lot to take in. And a burden on you too with all of that going on," Agata rubs the back of his neck as they approach a stoplight, watching the people walk along the crosswalk.

Such a heavy task to take.

Louis doesn't exactly focus on anything in particular as the fawn in the backseat opens up and begins to tell her story. His pupils dilate and the world through the car window becomes a blurry watercolor painting of muted motion. The gentle tunes of strings and brass sets a soft background for what is explained. The buck has an elbow resting on an interior contour of the door to his left while his chin rests along the back of his hand. A single ear remains swiveled to listen to the tale directly from his position.

When the crux of the problem is stated, Louis regains some amount of focus when Agata speaks up in his typical morally supportive way, eyes shifting and head turning just enough to peer sidelong over at the dark-furred lion. A pang of wistful admiration strikes, but the memories of Ibuki are pushed away. For now. It's not the time for them. His gaze droops down toward the dashboard as his attention is redirected back to Lillia and her plight.

While he doesn't fully understand it, he's been told about the history of the nation's animals from before the great war one hundred years ago. He knows that there was a far more mystical, if not magical, way of the Life Animals and Nature Animals and it hasn't all been lost. Those aspects make appearances here and there and, like Agata and the rest of the former Shishigumi, the deer has seen how they are most often brought to the surface through violence and despair.

"I'm not exactly a scholar on that subject or an enthusiast of such legends among our people, so I may not be the best to help." At length, Louis speaks these words. "There are times when it feels like our nation is teetering on the edge of social collapse and there are days where I feel that my efforts to help mean nothing; other days when I feel it's the only thing keeping things together. We don't have a new Beastar, so the public is grasping for positive role models, heroes, to help deliver relief. I understand the pain of uncertainty. That said..."

"Do you know what would happen if the tree died?"

Lillia nods as Agata responds, and finally pulls her gaze from the window, turning to look toward Agata and Louis in the front seats. It was indeed a heavy burden for her to bear. After hearing Louis' response as well, she takes her turn to speak again.

"I guess this is partly why I didn't ask you for help sooner. I can see you have your hands full here, keeping things together as you say. I accepted this task without really having any idea how I was going to accomplish it. I guess there was a time before the tree existed, so maybe things can go on as before if I can't stop the corruption. But I really don't know what will happen, no. Besides, the fact that this tree is my mother is reason enough. I have found some leads on this through other friends I've made in my travels, so if you are not able to help I will manage. I'm aware the situation is not one that just anyone can help with, if it were I'd have probably resolved it already."

She takes a moment to stretch and shift her position in the seat a bit before speaking again. "Anything else either of you want to ask me?"

"Don't get me wrong, Miss Lillia. Just because I'm not a specialist doesn't mean that I'm washing my hands of it."

Head and antlers turn and large deer eyes peer directly at the driver before an arm outstretches to place a hand upon Agata's shoulder. The lion really is quite larger than he is despite only being slightly older. "There was a time, not long ago, that I wouldn't be bothered by such matters. I'd ignore them outright. Only through the loyalties of friendships have we all made it this far. Honestly, we all owe so much to that...stupid wolf..." Louis sighs, takes a beat, then speaks up once more.

"My friend Legosi wouldn't turn down the chance to help and he'd likely know far less than I, though... He does somehow manage to surprise. As for what I can do, well- I can't spend company funds on helping. Not as things stand now and not without some measured risk of the matter going public and, well, you've said you don't want that. If things ever did get serious, I suppose I could lean on a military captain acquaintance for support, but that's cashing in a pretty big favor."

Facing front once more, Louis leans back into the seat that is a big large for him. If there was a question why he isn't driving, it might become obvious with a bit of observation. He reaches up and scratches around the base of his antlers without thinking about it. He might shed them soon. "Do you have any idea at all what kinds of help might be needed?" Were Legosi around, he'd probably ask if the sickness has to be fought in a dream, since that seems to be the prevailing theme. Louis may be action-oriented in his confronting problems, but his mind tends to work more through matters of politics.

Lillia looks back at Louis, feeling a bit more hopeful that Louis wasn't saying he wouldn't help, just that he might not be able to offer the best help. But at this point, she is willing to take any help she can get. She grins a little and laughs a bit at the mention of the actions of a 'stupid wolf' having such lasting and important consequences. "Stupid wolf turns out to not be so stupid?" She asks with a grin. "Anyway, I'm not really sure exactly what we're dealing with yet, but from what I've gathered so far with the help of others, it is likely someone, or something, with powerful magic. I'm afraid to even start tracking this magical being down without some backup in case things get... messy."

"Legosi may be a stupid wolf, but there's nothing I wouldn't do to help him. His...''heart''...is in the right place. At any rate, as I'm aware, he's busy with his girlfriend this time of year when he's not working," explains Louis with a lift of his hand in what might be a dismissive wave. It's honestly out of his power. All he can do is send a text message, but he's not going to go bothering his friends over a matter he knows next to nothing about. At least, for now.

"Keep me apprised. If there is somebody behind it, they likely have their own motives. Understanding the why can help explain the how, more often than not, but it's not exactly my main approach." As Agata knows, Louis prefers to meet his problems head on either to out-think or outsmart them. Failing that, well, there's a reason he has such strong hired help around. "But you still have an interest in education?"

Lillia hadn't picked up before that the 'stupid wolf' and 'friend Legosi' were one in the same, and looks surprised for a moment as she smiles. "Well I wouldn't want to pull him away from his girlfriend, but I do hope I can meet him someday. But yes, I will try to let you know if I learn anything more. Maybe whoever is behind this can be reasoned with, or doesn't know what damage they are doing, but part of me feels this is going to end with a fight, and I don't think I'm strong enough to face some evil sorcerer or something like that on my own."

A small smile graces the lion's face from the initial contact, and from what was spoken. There was no denying that Legosi has a heart of gold and would do just about anything to help. It was just his nature.

"Well, if it ever comes to that and Legosi is on board, which is surely to happen, we'll be there to back you up." He grins, fangs proudly showing and glinting in the light. "There is one question I have...you said you can enter people's dreams to help deal with nightmares. Would that person even remember you being physically there?"

Lillia goes back to looking out the window as she leans against the backseat a bit more and shifts her position again, trying to get comfortable. "I appreciate that. Hopefully, we can resolve this before it's too late. You can let Legosi know about this if you see him, as you say he's likely to join you in helping. But when it comes to people remembering me in their dream, sometimes they do if they clearly remember the dream, but I also don't have to appear in the dream as my normal self."

Agata lifts a brow, peering into the rear view mirror for a quick second before focusing back on the road. "What do you mean? As in, you're invisible or appearing to be someone else entirely?"

Louis' question concerning the fawn's interest in education takes the conversational backseat, as apt as it may seem outwardly, while Agata's line of questioning offers a different tangent entirely. To this, he remains quiet, and an unannounced explosion of trombone solo prompts the buck to reach over and turn the volume down a little. Otherwise, he sits there with his scarf still balled up on his lap while letting his fingertips play idly over one of the vents offering warm air. There's little reason to interrupt. He's just as curious as Agata even if he doesn't really understand how it's possible.

"Well yes, I could be invisible if I wanted to, or appear as someone or something else. I have control over how I appear and what I can do in the dream." Lillia explains as best she can. What she hasn't realized due to her inexperience is that this control is through her magic influencing or manipulating the subconscious of the dreamer. She soon turns back toward Louis, and curiously reaches her hand out to feel the air coming from the vents, and after a moment her gaze drifts down to his prosthetic leg. "So um, since I've answered a lot of things about me, there is something I have been curious about... I hope I'm not touching on something sensitive, but, why do you have a metal leg?"

One of the lion's ears flick, glancing over sideways to Louis for just a second, a flicker of slight panic in his eyes. But with practiced ease, he breathes softly through his nose and keeps his focus on the road ahead. "An unfortunate accident."

A most plausible and hopefully satisfactory answer that will sate Lillia's curiosity. It's terribly often that people tend to ask such a question, though he couldn't blame them, not really.

Attention drawn to that metal foot and ankle poking from the end of his pantleg, Louis lowers his gaze to look at it. "Hm. Well, the long and short of it is that I lost part of my leg to a Carnivore in an incident in order to save the life of a friend." His stare is pulled away and his head moved to the side just enough to peek into the backseat through the rear view mirror's slim shape. That would mean that his being involved in the alley that night when Junji was attacked wouldn't be his first time dealing with dangerous Carnivores, or so it may seem to imply.

There's a certain charm about seeing such a youthful and effeminate deer face that beguiles his powerful business connections. That might not mean much to a foreigner without an understanding of how that kind of society functions, of course. Louis smiles. "It was a choice that I made, in the moment, so it was on my terms."

Lillia is a bit surprised by the answer from Louis, as from the sound of it, this was more than just an accident if he lost the leg by choice in a carnivore situation, which could only mean, as far as her mind could conjure, that he allowed his leg to be eaten so a hungry carnivore didn't go for someone else instead. Quite the noble sacrifice, she felt.

There is stunned silence for a moment as Lillia only nods and looks back out the window, thinking about that night with Junji. Just how common an occurrence was this, she had assumed it was at least relatively uncommon and moving toward greater rarity as Louis and others work to improve the situation in the city, but there was still so much she didn't know about this place, and both seeing the mall and traveling through the city by car today has opened her eyes to just how vast this city is, and how tiny the area she's been to is compared to the entirety of it.

Eventually she speaks again. "This place really does make you feel like a small fawn in a huge world... Today has really made me realize how little I've seen... But I hope I don't one day have to make a choice like that."

"Keep your head to the ground and you won't have to," Agata says in a cheerful tone.

He liked Lillia, even going so far as to taking pleasure in her company despite the conversation that took place. It just wouldn't do for her to be in constant danger, regardless of how much of a state the city was in. And that even includes the deer, notwithstanding.

"Anyway, boss mentioned about your education."

"No animal should face that kind of situation, but it would dangerous to ignore that it does. Those kinds of attacks -- they don't happen often, really. I've had my prosthetic for, oh, nearly a year and a half now? Took a while to learn how to walk again properly, though. Can't do for the CEO of Horns Conglomerate to be a feeble crippled deer hobbling around. ...not that I need that as an excuse, eh Agata?"

To say that Louis is willfully stubborn is to put it lightly. For the longest time he was simply a frigid rich bitch with a chip on his shoulder and everything to prove. Also, Agata wanted to eat him. They've all come quite a long way in such a short amount of time, but sometimes reflections of the past bubble up from time to time.

"Speaking of, you've been in contact with Junji? I feel bad for not visiting, but for political reasons I just can't. I did send him a gift, though. Flowers and a card. Free helped me pick out the card. Eh, I can barely remember. I think it had a silly drawing inside it." He moves a hand to his face and rubs lightly along the top of his snout. "Ah, right. Education. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm sure you don't have an educational background, what with the whole growing from a tree blossom thing, so we should probably work out an assessment of what you know. Not something we have to hash out here. Just something to keep in mind for later."

"I will try to be careful. Probably would be best to avoid hanging around dark alleys on the edge of town, though I shudder to think about what would have happened to Junji if I wasn't there that night." Lillia speaks in agreement with Agata's tip, then speaking of Junji, Louis mentions if she's been in contact before speaking of education as well. "I did visit him once, think it was some few days before he got to leave the hospital. I did notice your card too." She says with a grin, looking up at the mirror to see Louis' face through it.

"He still seemed pretty shaken, can't say I blame him. He was also worried about how much being in the hospital was going to set him back at school, though I haven't been to one so I can only imagine, some kind of work he would need to catch up on or something? Pretty much all I learned about the outside world before I left the garden was through viewing the dreams of others as they blossomed on the tree."

"You probably have some catching up to do." Louis sighs. "Okay, that's not true. You'll likely have a ''lot'' of catching up to do, it's going to be grueling, you'll hit a stopping point where you'll want to give in long before you've reached your goal, and despite the best efforts of myself and other like-minded animals working to change the status quo you will probably be socially handicapped from the very start and it'll be used as a means to control your expectations ''if you let it''."

A lot of very heavy words delivered there, Louis only waits long enough for them to sink in before following up. "All that said, are you still willing to allow your curiosity to drive you toward learning more about yourself and the world around you while shattering preconceptions of foreigners and misconceptions of Hybrids, setting a new precedent for educational enlightenment, all for the purpose of making the world a better place for the future?" Those rules are up for debate depending on where one travels. Many things remain the same, yet not all is completely universal. Still, the professional tone in which the lines are delivered are to be expected from 'the Boss'. The deer turns to look around the seat with expectation in his eyes for an answer.

Lillia didn't really need Louis to tell her she had a lot of catching up to do, but he did put it in better perspective. While she has grown a lot in getting accustomed to cities and people from other worlds, while also partially conquering her shyness, going from a fawn that was afraid to even be seen by others, to understanding that she had no choice, needing to seek help from others to save her mother tree, to the point that now she can interact with strangers in the city while suppressing that nervous feeling in her gut, knowing that most people are not out to get her. But this was academic learning, something she's had basically no exposure to.

It was not going to be easy, but she knew it was important, and Louis follows by giving her several reasons why it was important even beyond the benefits to herself. "Yes, I will give it my all, but before I dive into this, probably best that the situation with Mother Tree is resolved... one way or the other." Hard to argue that she certainly didn't need that extra distraction while starting school for the first time in her life.

|}}

2021-12-12 - Some Memories Need Healing

2021-12-14T02:14:31Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Some Memories Need Healing, Other Memories Cause Harm |Summary=Lillia Amaryllis visits the victim of the alleyway attack, Junji the Goat, to see how he's d..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Some Memories Need Healing, Other Memories Cause Harm
|Summary=Lillia Amaryllis visits the victim of the alleyway attack, Junji the Goat, to see how he's doing. He's nearly ready to go home, but the memories of the events of that night are almost nonexistent.
|Who=[[Amaryllis]], [[Louis]]
|Date=December 12th, 2021
|Where=Denko City, Kenko Hospital
|Log=

Kenko Hospital. This is where Lillia woke up after interfering with that alleyway attack. A giraffe lady sits behind the counter at reception, although she still looks downward to speak to most every animal that walks up. She has only just handed over a clipboard and pen to two animals that might be a couple, but thankfully things seem rather slow for the moment. Turning her attention to a computer monitor, she begins typing.

There are multiple hospitals around Denko, of course. Denko is a massive city. This one seems to mostly be more Herbivore biased, but a few medical personnel and patients are actually Carnivores. This might explain why Lillia wound up here along with that deer and the goat. The goat, Junji, is supposed to be in a room and the sign in reception shows that it is currently visiting hours. The lady at the front desk probably knows where to go to find him.

After a trip back to Distant Oceans, Lillia returns to Denko, and has been exploring the city a bit. She is starting to feel more comfortable here, but has certainly made it a point to avoid going to the less traveled parts of town, especially after dark. She has been wondering how Junji is doing, and decides to pay him a visit. She takes a deep breath before walking into the reception area, and makes her way right up to the desk, greeting the receptionist with a smile before making her request in a very polite, perhaps slightly nervous sounding tone. "Um, hi. I would like to see Junji, if that's okay."

"I'll be right with you," comes a soft-spoken reply. There is a little more typing to be had, but then the giraffe turns her attention to the individual in front of her desk. "Welcome to Kenko Hospital. My name is Tayori. You said you were inquiring after a... Patient?"

Tayori lowers her head in almost comical fashion to get a closer look at Lillia. She blinks twice, slowly. "Juichi, you said? Oh, wait- I remember you. You must be looking for Junji the Boer-Kiko Goat," she 'corrects'. "Since you're a friend, you can go on up. Room 207. Take the elevator up, turn right, room will be on your left down the hall," she instructs as she pulls up information on Junji on her terminal. Ever so quietly yet clearly, Tayori adds, "Doctors may be checking on him, but it should be no problem to visit. What was your name again, for the record?"

The elevator is clearly marked, at least, with designated buttons for up, down, and -- within -- buttons for each floor.

Lillia nods to the woman when she corrects herself. "Yes, that's him." It did feel odd on one hand to be calling them friends when she's barely met the guy, but she supposes if you can't consider someone who risked their life to help save your own a friend, then who? She gives another nod and smile as the receptionist says she can go see Junji, and gives her name before heading off to follow the directions. "Lillia Amaryllis, and thank you."

With that done, she heads over to the elevator, presses the button to call it, and walks inside once the door opens. She then hits the button for the second floor, and after arriving at the floor, she looks at the room numbers to see which way she should go. Soon she arrives at Room 207, and gently knocks on the door.

The door opens after a moment and a horse, either a doctor or an aide, opens it. His eyes brighten a bit, although there's notable surprise at seeing Lillia's unique shape, before turning to address the goat lying in bed. "You have a visitor, Junji. Good timing. Come in, come in." The equine walks over to the bed and begins to fiddle with a mask that covers the goat's muzzle. It's strapped on and everything. "I'm going to give you a break from the CPAP, Junji, but if you have any difficulties breathing you alert me right away with the Call button, okay? It'll be a good time to sip on your water or I can send over some juice, but no straws. Okay?"

The clear mask is removed to reveal the sound of running air. Pulling the mask and connected hose away, draped over a simple rack on the side of a machine, the machine itself has its process suspended with the push of a button. Stepping by Lillia, the horse leaves. The goat is there and looks both tired and somehow restless. A few cards and vases of flowers decorate the bedside table. Over on the nearby counter, a much larger grandiose flower display sits with a card beside it, too.

Junji's horizontal pupils affix on his visitor. "I think I remember you." His voice is weak. It's not the same kind of softness from Tayori. This voice sounds as if it hasn't been used since that night.

Lillia greets the equine with a warm smile, she was getting quite used to those surprised looks when people around here see her for the first time. Surprise she was fine with, fear and scorn were where she worried. She was a little surprised to see that Junji still needed a machine to help him breathe, though if the horse hadn't explained she would have had no idea what it was for, so the context given was appreciated even if it wasn't said for her benefit.

When the horse leaves and Junji looks at her, she nods at what he initially says, a more serious expression taking hold on her face as she thinks back to what had happened. "I'm Lillia, we barely had a chance to see each other and a lot of things happened that night. I wish you got away as lightly injured as I was... Maybe if I had come a little sooner... who knows?" Honestly, she felt lucky herself to have escaped that night with just a single claw wound, and any variable could have changed the events dramatically, perhaps not for the better.

"I... Don't remember much."

Those words alone might explain why Junji doesn't fully and completely recognize the fawn in the room with him. "I think I remember when you showed up. There was somebody else." Junji's head turns to glance over at the large flower display. "Adler sent flowers. And a card. My mom did, too. And friends from high sch-" For a moment it seems that the goat's voice completely gives out on him. He reaches over for his glass of water and begins to drink some. With a moistened mouth, he finishes, "From high school. Mom visited yesterday."

Junji looks over at Lillia. "My throat got hurt pretty badly. Back of my head, too. I don't remember... You know. Much about what happened. I get to go home soon. Have to use one of these machines at home, though." The more he talks the better his voice sounds, at least, although there's a tired edge that doesn't completely go away. That tiger really messed him up good, but it could have been a lot worse.

Lillia nods, frowning a little. "I tried to stop them from hurting you, but... well I guess it could have ended a lot worse. But you probably don't want to talk about what happened? It was pretty scary..." It was only the second time Lillia had been in a situation where others were trying to kill her, and that night didn't feel any easier than the first. If anything, with how much feral bloodlust that tiger showed, the nightmares she had were a fair bit worse than when it was just human thugs going after her with their technological weapons. Somehow the primal nature was more frightening even with her limited understanding of technology.

After a long pause, Lillia speaks up again while she reaches into a small pouch she carried. "I'm just glad you're ok. I brought you something, from my home forest." She pulls out what appears to be a pink lotus with a soft white glow coming from the center. She gently places it on the bedside table. "It's a spirit blossom."

Now, gifting a goat or other Herbivore flowers is a tricky thing. They usually have to be carefully selected, just in case. Goats get a bigger reputation for eating things than most others do, but that's not necessarily undeserved. All the same, Junji watches as his visitor walks over to put the blossom down nearby. "I don't think... I've seen one of those..."

It's probably a blessing that the goat can't remember much, although it's probably a mix between repressed memories and head trauma. He had disturbing dreams at first, but they were amorphous and mostly based on feelings of anxiety. There's absolutely no mention of the deer that night or his lion help and there was certainly nobody named Adler present, so it must be a different friend. Sipping slowly at his water, the teenager looks between the flower offered and the fawn herself in curiosity.

Lillia grins a little as Junji comments that he doesn't think he's seen one of those flowers. "Well, if you hadn't guessed, I'm not exactly from around here. In some forests, those blossoms grow from the spirits of those that have passed on, which is how they got their name. In the grove where I'm from though, they come from dreams. Though, lately mother tree and the garden of dreams has gotten sick, and there haven't been very many blossoms." Likely making the one Lillia gives tonight all the more precious.

Now that she's further into the room, Junji can probably see the part of her hindquarters that had to be shaved for the stitches she got, even though the fur has started to grow back. "I'm glad to hear you get to go home soon, maybe I can visit sometime, and maybe... when you're feeling better, and the garden is healthy again, you can visit my home."

Junji does look, yes, although thankfully he's less spaced out today than he has been from pain medication. He's honestly getting better. "Well, I have one more year of high school. Maybe during summer next year. This is putting me behind on my midterms I was supposed to be studying for... I was going to meet up with friends to study. That night. My teachers are allowing time to recover, but it's really stressful. I'm going to have so much work to do at home when I get back."

The life of a high school student can be rough. Still, what happened, happened. "You got hurt?" The goat lifts a hand to point. Even if his memory wasn't mostly missing, he did get his lights knocked out just before that happened, even if briefly. "Was that from-"

Lillia smiles and nods. "Oh right, you go and do these classes here too, like the younger people in Senta City. I've wondered if maybe I should go to school myself. Might be helpful for learning more about the world outside the enchanted forest, or beyond Distant Oceans in general. I guess I should think about, and decide where I should, or even could, go to school." She ponders the idea in silence for a bit more, then at the mention of her wound, she nods, looking back at the spot. "Yeah, got clawed by the tiger. I spent a night in this same hospital, they cleaned up the wound and stitched me up like a ripped doll, never seen anything like it before."

The hand that points moves to the back of the goat's head. Junji rubs his fingertips against the spot there that also needed suturing. The wound has healed up well, but the fur there is shorter than the rest still. "Yeah. Same. The tiger... My friends shared their names with me when they visited, but..." There's a brief pause while the mixed-breed goat looks somewhat defeated. "I don't remember." That seems to be the theme.

"You might be able to go to a university. I think there are programs for foreign students, but I don't know who to ask about that kind of thing. I don't want to think about college until next year." He has to make it through this one first, preferably without losing a year. That would be a mark on his record that he'd never get rid of.

Really, he's just some kid that's been through a very terrible attack. He's spent most of the time alone at the hospital. The idea of getting to go home is probably really nice. Lillia may recall her conversation with Louis and how every day in a hospital costs no small amount of money, even if money is a new concept for her. Two weeks probably isn't very affordable in most cases. With the part of town that Junji lives in, that might say a lot about what this is going to do to his family, but what other choice is there?

"Do I need to put it in a bowl with water?" asks the goat, looking back to the bloom.

Lillia just nods. She doesn't even know what a university is, and probably is missing a lot of the prerequisite knowledge, but it is something she plans to look into. "I'll ask around about that I guess, and I do hope you do ok catching up with your school stuff." It's probably best that Lillia doesn't fully understand just how much debt this is probably making for Junji's family, as if she did she'd want to help, but wouldn't really be able to. At the question about the blossom, she nods. "It would last longer if you do, though it's um... special properties, let it last longer than a normal cut flower as it is." She explains while going out of her way to not call it a magical flower, after her earlier conversation with Louis.

"Oh, okay. I'll ask the nurse when he gets back." Junji tries to drink more water, but he's had enough. Maybe even too much. Embarrassment washes over the goat's face as it hits him and he flicks an ear in anxiety. "Sorry, uh. Please excuse me." When Junji pulls back the sheet he reveals that he's not wearing his normal clothing. He's wearing a typical hospital gown. Sitting up, legs sliding free and over to dangle, the teenager passes a look toward the door. He doesn't have IVs anymore, so he's free to slip away for a moment. "I'm going to, uh, be right back. While I'm not attached to that machine."

Junji is shorter even than Louis. It really comes to light in comparison there as he walks by Lillia, just how young and fragile looking he is. With a barefoot shuffle on the cold hard floor, he slips away into the connected washroom in a hurry and leaves Lillia, for the moment, alone in the room with all the cards and flowers and soft daylight shining through the room's window. It doesn't look like Louis sent anything, but he did say he wanted to keep things a secret. Even from Junji?

Lillia takes a moment to look over the cards that were left for Junji. She didn't know any of the people, but the sentiments they gave were nice. She does notice that none seem to be from Louis, and as she doesn't know Adler is a fictional character, the pseudonym goes over her head. After a moment she'd walk to the window and take in the view for a moment while she waited for Junji to take care of whatever he needed to do. As she gazes out the window, she tries to imagine what going to school would be like, which is a little hard because she doesn't really know too much about it.

Any amount of wandering around the island nation will show that here, much like many other places in foreign nations, students dress in uniform. That alone might be an interesting concept even without considering the idea of lectures and advanced sciences and mathematics. The card from Adler does show a depiction of a cartoon deer on the inside, though. The front of the card is very fancy, almost regal, with gold trim and floral patterns while the lettering states: 'Get well soon so you can...'

The cartoon deer inside the card is shown throwing confetti while the multicolored font exclaims: '...go buck wild and party!'

Running water finally ends, the door opens, the light cuts off, and the goat inside steps out and shuffles over to the window to stand beside Lillia and gaze out at things. "It's weird. I don't remember much about what happened, but I still feel...different...when I look at the world. Isn't that weird?"

Lillia is broken from her idle thoughts when she hears the running water stop and Junji returns. She turns to face the goat and shakes her head at the question. "Maybe some part of you, deep inside, does remember, but the waking mind forgot. What have your dreams been like since it happened? Dreams are... somewhat of a specialty of mine, you might say."

"Well..." The goat draws this out a while, at least stalling for as many seconds as he can, before relenting and admitting what might be a very predictable answer. "I don't remember." The inability to remember things is seemingly quite a source of frustration for the teen and has been manifesting more and more as the days have gone by during his stay in the hospital. "At first I would wake up, scared, panicked. Maybe I was dreaming about the tiger that attacked me? My throat hurt for a long time. Had to, uh, have one of those -- you know -- one of those breathing tubes down my throat at first since part of my airway was crushed and having trouble staying, er, open."

He still uses a breathing machine, it seems, but it's a kind that requires a face mask instead. "Doctor says I'll need to use one of those things at home, especially at night when I'm sleeping, but it's really hard to sleep with this thing stuck to your face, you know?"

Lillia nods about the machine helping him breath and how hard it would be to sleep with that on. "Can't say I have experience with that, but it sounds like it would be pretty annoying. But um, I don't think I can help you with your memory in general, and I really hope you're able to remember what's important for your school learning and such. But for the dreams, well, I might be able to help you know what sort of dreams you're having, and if they are nightmares, help you conquer them and have better dreams instead. You see, I can directly interact with the dreams of a sleeping person. I recently helped a guy named Link back in Distant Ocean's Village..." She trails off from there.

The fact that it would probably be awkward to Junji to have this strange fawn in the room while he sleeps doesn't faze her, but she realizes she's sort of talked her way down a path that is going to be pretty hard to explain her way out of without just saying that she can do literal magic in relation to dreams.

"Oh, like hypnotism? Is that really a thing? I thought it was all fake." Hypnotism. That's the same word that Louis used when discussing Dream Magic that was used to put the tiger to sleep. "I mean, I don't know that I believe in it, but we'd have to ask the doctor. And probably my mom? Yeah. Probably."

Junji's ears move when he hears the door handle start to turn, but stop, with a voice of conversation happening just outside the room. For a moment he thinks about sneaking back into bed, but instead he just turns around and leans back against the glass when he remembers that the hospital gowns can be a bit revealing in the back. The fact that he actually remembers this detail, however, goes overlooked. "Not that I'd mind? I dunno. Maybe you can use it to make me want to study better instead of waiting to the last minute like, uh, heh. Like the week before." He tries to laugh, but that's something that still hurts a little. A hand moves to his neck to idly rub.

"Bet they want to do a checkup on me again."

Lillia chuckles a bit at his request. "Maybe I can help you dream about your studies, or would that be a nightmare?" She asks with another laugh. "Anyway, it's a bit more than hypnotism, maybe I can tell you more about it later." She adds, hearing the door, and Junji mentions they probably want to check up on him again. "Maybe I should get going, I don't want to get in the way, but I would like to see you again. Um, I got talked into buying this phone thing, not sure how to use it really, but I was planning on playing with it and seeing if I could figure it out. Maybe you can, what was the guy at the store saying... message me on it?" She asks as she pulls out a cheap smartphone and holds it out to Junji.

"Oh. Oh, I mean, sure. Yeah. We can do that." Footsteps lead the goat over to the countertop where the big flower display is where his own phone is currently charging. He disconnects the cable and unlocks it while walking back over to Lillia. "Okay, just pull up your contact code and I'll scan it, or you can scan mine. If you ever join BeastBook, I can add you through your phone number." He tries to show off what to do with his own phone which isn't too much more expensive than what the fawn has. "You just push this button and this button on the phone at the same time then let go of them together. It'll pull up this screen here, see? With the code on it?" It's more like a strange pixelated triangle than a code.

"Then you just point the camera at it and it'll pull the details and add to your Contact list and send a request to the other person. Um..."

The medical practitioner walks in at this point with a clipboard in hand, notices Junji out of bed but says nothing, and instead wanders over to pull out some equipment for basic examination. "I'm still learning those things myself," admits the horse. "I still have one of these," he says, then pulls the tail of his coat to the side to show off the pager clipped to his belt.

Lillia doesn't really understand everything Junji is saying, but she follows along as best she can by watching what he does. "BeastBook, I'll have to remember that." She comments as she scans his code and now their contacts were added in each others phones. "Wow, that was easier than I thought it'd be actually. She turns to the horse as he shows off his pager and looks at the device curiously. "What does that do?"

Junji fiddles with the contact info that is linked to his phone and he sees the number, but there's no name. Lillia probably has yet to set up full details under the user profile. "Uh, what was your name again? I..." Forgot? He can enter it by hand while wandering back over to the bed.

"Oh, my pager? If any animal calls my number it'll show and I can call them back, or they can attach a small message in text, or a voice message I can check later with a phone. Good for the weeks where I work on-call. Now, Mister Junji, I need you to finish up with your friend for now because I need to get you back on the CPAP. You're not fully better just yet, but we'll at least get you home soon." The horse stands near the bed, waiting. He's not being impatient by any means, but the doctors and aides all have schedules.

Lillia avoids frowning, but really does hope Junji's forgetfulness is not a permanent ailment, for his sake. "Lillia Amaryllis." She answers the request for her name, she'll have to figure out how to fix that in her phone later, or have someone teach her how. When the horse mentions needing to get Junji back on the CPAP soon, she nods and smiles to Junji. "I am starting to feel like I could go for some juice and a bite to eat myself. It was nice meeting you, in a more casual situation, hope you get better soon and we can meet again. Good luck on those midterms." Whatever they are, she could also go for some fresh air, but felt it would be cruel to even mention that in the company of someone stuck in a hospital room. She offers a wave to both Junji and the horse, then makes her exit.

Junji does his best to figure out the spelling on that and does a quick test message that he taps out quickly. At some point soon, Lillia no doubt gets a notification, maybe even with a sound and/or a buzz, along with the text and multiple flower emojis:

[Thx 4 t flower :3 ]

"Can I get a bowl of water to put this bloom in?" he asks of the care professional.

"I don't see why not. I'll ask the ladies at the desk down the hall to get that for you."

The goat switches off his phone and puts it beside the flowers on the stand near the bed before hopping up onto it. "Thanks, Lillia. I- Um, I appreciate your visit." Before the aide can do any examination, however, Junji turns to grab his glass of water to finish it off. The CPAP machine tends to dry his mouth and nose out. "We can text later. My mom would probably like to meet you. She doesn't know anybody else but the police helped. Isn't that weird? I barely remember you and the other animal that stepped in, but I know I didn't imagine it, and the police never bothered me about it. Guess it was because it was such a clear cut case."

"Okay, now, Junji, that's enough talking. You'll strain yourself. And you: Lillia, was it? Thank you for dropping by," offers the horse with a genuine smile as she leaves while Junji gives an awkward wave.

Lillia turns back to Junji before she leaves, smiling as she sees the message on her phone, being short enough that it fits entirely into a notification. "Sure, I'd be happy to meet your family, till then, we can, text." Soon as I figure out how, she thinks to herself. "For now, get some rest and don't push yourself too hard, hopefully your memory will get better." She doesn't comment on why the police didn't mention her or Louis, keeping the promise she made to Louis.

----
----

Elsewhere, at the Furumau Detention Center:

"Right, well, that's another successful session together, Anthony," states a leopard wearing glasses as he peers over at the tiger seated nearby. The tiger rubs one hand against a wrist while blankly staring over at the other feline. "It'll be a bit longer that you'll stay with us, of course, until we're sure you're beyond the worst of your Withdrawal. You've been taking your meds, too, with no incident. Good. No need to prescribe anything more just yet."

"When am I getting out of here, doc?"

"Now, Anthony, we've already discussed this. You still have a sentence to serve for what you did. You may have been bio-psychologically driven to an act of violence, which is why your sentencing was reduced in favor of treatment and care, but time you don't spend served with us is going to demand an equivalent in jail."

This doesn't do anything to make the tiger feel any better, though. He lightly growls under his breath. "What about my friends? You said you'd tell me how they were doing, where they are."

The leopard reaches up and removes his glasses. "Very well, Anthony. Your coyote friend, Christian, had surgery to remove two bullets and is being held in our medical wing, here at Furumau."

"What?! He was shot? When?! I don't remember that happening. Who the fuck shot Christian? Who the- You had better have caught the bastard."

"Anthony, ''please''. If you don't calm down I'll have to sedate you. Indoors voices. Report says he was shot by the police in self-defense. He's in very bad mental shape and it's going to be a long hard road for him to rehabilitate from his Meat-Addiction, but he's in good hands. I promise you we'll do our best for him as well as you."

"Damn it... What about Kemuri?" asks the tiger of his wolf friend, instead. He'd very much like to demand more, but he does ''not'' want to be drugged up again any more than they already keep him.

"Kemuri is still in Kenko Hospital. He suffered broken incisive and nasal bones and a cracked maxilla of the skull as well as a fractured radius of the arm." This news greatly unsettles the tiger and the leopard watches closely the entire time. There are guards nearby, too, ready to jump in if things go badly. "He's being fed through a tube and he may not be out of the hospital for a few months. I'm not happy about it, either, but the police wouldn't have shown such force if you and your friends hadn't been doped up on Bloodbone."

"They didn't- Only I- Nh. Grrrrrr. The police didn't do that to Kemuri! Some other fucker did."

"Language, Anthony."

"And there was that other prick I could barely make out in the glaring light. And that weird-ass hybrid!"

"Anthony, I won't warn you again. Besides, what I'm reporting is what I was given through official channels. You were high and feral. You were probably mistaken."

"I wasn't- Tsk." The tiger relents, but there's something insidious that burns deep in his eyes that he isn't afraid to let the leopard see. "Yeah, sure, doc. Whatever you say. I guess we'll just have to see. Won't we?"

|}}

2021-11-30 - An Honest Chat

2021-12-01T06:02:26Z

Louis:

{{Logsummary|
Title=An Honest Chat
|Summary=Business continues as usual, even after the alleyway attack that left Louis injured, and a special business meeting is slated to take place today.
|Who=[[Louis]]
|Date=November 30th, 2021
|Where=Horns Conglomerate Head Offices
|Log=
<big>
"Mister Louis; Donyoku, the representative from Gizou Medical Technologies, is here to see you."

The desktop intercom's interjection, despite being the bright voice of the front receptionist at the ground floor, does little to illuminate the dreary darkness of the CEO's office. Much as it was left by the late Oguma, there are few decorations that add emotion to the cold and well-calculated layout of its original design. A grandfather clock ticks quietly off to the side and the curtains behind the main desk chair are partially drawn. Some light from the overcast afternoon manages to slip in, but even the extra light does little to shake the heaviness of the room.

"Send him up, please."

The desk chair is too large for Louis. He feels so small in it, especially in knowing the stag that once filled it. Louis runs his fingers along the padded armrest to feel the grooves where a previous weight helped shape some contours. Yet another company representative aims to meet with the still fairly new CEO of the Horns Conglomerate to broker a deal and try to take advantage of things. Business is so cutthroat in the office. It was so much like the Black Market, but at least there animals didn't try to hide their intentions. It was distasteful and hazardous.

Mouth dry, Louis stands and wanders over to the wet bar to pour some water. The small stand is stocked with a few different liquors, but the young deer didn't care for any of them. They were there as a formality. Drinking in the office, for business, is something that seems to paradoxical, yet there it was. It even has a minifridge, but Louis only uses it for juices and water. Sipping the cool liquid, feeling it coat the inside of his throat as he swallows, his footsteps take him back over to the desk.

This is an important meeting. There won't be any negotiations over business what with it being purely a formality, but the right impression needs to be made nonetheless. Gizou Medtech is a fast growing company. Stocks will likely skyrocket. Making an investment would no doubt be wise. What would Oguma do?

Louis' gaze lowers to the picture on the desk of the grand stag. It was one of the only pictures he had of Oguma where he was actually smiling. Just a little. Such a keen mind behind those spectacles worn; the young stag's stare lingers only to be interrupted by a deep breath and a sigh. Louis places the glass down on the desk's edge, cradled by a coaster to protect the desk's finish, and his drifting eyes pass over the few sentimental things he keeps there: a wedding photo of himself and his wife, Azuki; a photo of himself and Legosi that the wolf insisted on having taken during a dinner a few months back; and there's a clear cork-sealed bottle with a clipping of golden hair inside. A bittersweet smile creeps onto Louis' face.

What would Ibuki do?

Checking the clock across the room, Louis takes his seat and reaches up with his left arm to rub at his right shoulder. Underneath the jacket and shirt, clean padding protects stitches from the assault the other night. It itches terribly, but all he can really do is give it a gentle rub now and then. Best to soothe it a little now before company arrives. The room feels so large. The furniture, too. Will it ever feel any smaller? Will he ever feel any bigger?

The door opens and Donyoku steps inside.

Donyoku is a lion.

Louis doesn't even realize he has straightened up in sitting posture and taken on a visual demeanor very similar to his father's. The eye contact across the room is immediate. Donyoku bows his head first and Louis doesn't, not until a beat later. A hand is lifted to gesture to the chairs in front of his desk. "Donyoku?"

"Mister Louis."

"Please make yourself comfortable."

"I shall! Thank you."

Walking over toward the desk, the nearly eight and a half foot tall lion towers over the seated five-foot-three deer. Donyoku places his briefcase into one chair, but he does not claim the other. Instead, the lion, one that appeared to be in his early fifties, walks over to the wet bar to pour himself a drink. This slightly throws Louis off who watches with slightly narrowed eyes. This expression is discarded for something more cordial, however, and adds in an invitational and only partially ironic, "Help yourself."

"You are most gracious, Mister Louis." Donyoku makes his way back to the desk and pauses next to the seat to peer down at the small deer. "CEO." He takes a sip of whiskey. "Horns Conglomerate." He takes another sip. "You know, I never thought I'd see the inside of this place." Until Louis took over, Horns Conglomerate only ever did business with Herbivores. For the sake of a statement of coexistence, however, Louis began changing that policy to help grow the company. Until now, it would be completely unheard of to see a feline-based Tech Company rep visiting in such a manner. It's a big deal and the lion isn't afraid to voice it.

"Times are changing," remarks Louis on the matter and the suit-wearing lion gestures with the liquor glass right at the stag.

"That they are! That they are." When Donyoku sits on that statement, he reaches out and places the glass on the desk. Louis doesn't miss the fact that the lion doesn't even bother to use a coaster. Still, he lets it go for the sake of business even if it does bother him. The sound of latches being undone signals the opening of that briefcase and a stack of papers are removed. "Now, I know it was said that you'd rather route most business through your legal department first, but I wanted to take the initiative to present to you, personally, a business partnership that you'll find most pleasing."

When the stack of papers are offered out over the desk, Louis does not reach out to take it. "Mister Donyoku," he says, formally, "It's against company policy. You'll have to submit your proposed contracts through the same channels as everybody else." The lion smiles brightly.

"Oh, well, of course, but you said it yourself: Times are changing. Simply having a look over it doesn't mean you have to agree to it. Come on, Louis. I know I'm being forward, but having a chance to be here, like this, to speak with you is such an honor that I feel it would be a waste to not present something like this, of this magnitude, to you." There's a hopeful look in Donyoku's eyes and for a moment it all seems very innocuous, but Louis has seen that look before.

Donyoku is completely unaware of Louis' history with the Shishigumi. Nearly everybody is, which is why it caused such a stir when he set Horns Conglomerate's legal department after freeing the felons to net them special sentencing as employees of one of the nation's most powerful businesses. During his time with the Shishigumi, Louis has encountered every size and shape of animal walking every possible path in life. He knows what the desperate and hopeful look like. He knows what the broken and hopeless look like. He also knows what it looks like to face down somebody hiding something. It was more than a poker face. Most business meetings are nothing but staring at poker faces while playing at ultimate manners and formalities.

This wasn't that.

"You're right, of course," admits the stag as he reaches out to take the stack of papers from the hand of the lion. When he grips and tugs, however, there is the slightest bit of hold kept on the lion's behalf before the lion lets go. It's enough to fully catch Louis' direct eye contact one more only to be met with a charming smile. Teeth. It's a smile, but he's showing teeth. Most Herbivores would get an instinctual aversion to this display and show a bit of weakness. Louis isn't most Herbivores. Louis smiles back as he pulls the papers over and begins to power-read over the details. "I was expecting a more casual discussion on your company, your current goals, and fiscal expectations of growth over the next eight quarters."

"You know what Gizou Medical Technologies is already about," answers the lion in a matter-of-fact tone. He's right about that, too. While the company has been around for two years already, it has recently hit a popularity boom. While the average citizen won't know the name, medical practitioners in clinics and hospitals are familiar with the company's newest designs and advances in medical technology. Investing money in the company is a surefire guarantee to getting amazing returns. A decade, well, that might be a mountain of money in difference.

"Then what can you tell me about your proposal?" asks the young buck while passing fingertips over the printed words, casually leafing through the multi-page document. Everything looks very standard, although the name Mezio seems to pop up very often and he doesn't recall hearing that name elsewhere.

"Nothing much greater than your typical mutual investment. We think we'd be a great asset regarding the future of Horns Conglomerate. We have the booming business in R&D to draw in many investors and ultimately we'd like to cement a partnership with your company, Louis. Being aligned with the likes of Horns Conglomerate alone would draw in even greater investments and that's without asking a single yen from you. All the same, we were hoping for a mutual investment of ten percent."

Louis looks up from the papers to glare at Donyoku unflinchingly. "I'm not selling your company ten percent of Horns Conglomerate's stock." Before the lion has a chance to rebuttal, the deer asks, "What can you tell me about Mezio?" The lion's eyes light up in sheer contradiction to the frustration that very briefly ignited within them.

"Ah, yes, you saw that. That's why the investment exchange is pretty high. Mezio is a secret project of Gizou, been hush-hush this past year, but there's going to be an unveiling at the Totemo-hai Science Expo."

"Totemo-hai. That's the event held at Dodome, isn't it?" Louis stares at the papers in hand once more as he recalls Legosi mentioning that his friend Jack is going to Dodome University. That was the day when Legosi insisted on that silly picture, but he had such a big smile on his face and how could Louis live with being such a terrible friend if he didn't relent. Legosi's grandfather, Gosha, was supposed to meet with them that night, but something came up. That silly wolf did his best to not look worried, but he always was terrible at hiding his feelings. What's Legosi doing today? It's not long until Rexmas and-

Why is he daydreaming about that wolf in the middle of a business meeting?!

"-be fairly prestigious, so we expect the news to hit hard and fast and stocks to skyrocket in worth. Actually, that's why I wanted to present this opportunity to you here and now, cut Horns Conglomerate in on the sudden boom before it happens," explains Donyoku while reaching to finish off the rest of his whiskey. "It's simply good business practice."

Actually, it's anything but. If Donyoku is under a non-disclosure agreement regarding this Mezio project and Horns Conglomerate was to buy in with Gizou for the sake of increased stock values, well, that wouldn't affect Gizou much at all, but it might legally wound the business so badly in public image that they'd lose investors themselves. Depending on the judicial fallout, the recovery period, legal fees, and bad PR might be almost unrecoverable unless they banked hard on mutual investors with a lot of money, much like what Donyoku is saying Gizou wants to do.

This is dangerous. "I think it's a bold idea, certainly, but it could be well worth the investment if we play a straight hand," Louis begins to say, but is cut off by a very rude lion.

"That's what I like to hear. Let's do this, Louis. Let's set up ourselves and our children to be fully made." There's that smile again.

Louis' mouth opens ever so slightly at this. "Not a bad idea. I'll pass this over to my legal team and we can be in contact with you about it in around a month." Donyoku suddenly stands up in alarm.

"No no no, you don't understand. If we want to move on this, we have to move on it now. The Totemo-hai Science Expo is in two weeks. It'll take almost that entire time to get this set in stone, but you'd have to sign today."

"Well, I'm afraid that it's impossible, then. You should have come to me sooner."

"Louis- You know this will work. You can feel it. Can you live with the regret of missing out on this?"

"Yes." Donyoku huffs at this and stalks back over to the wet bar to pour himself another drink, although this one looks to be a double. "Haven't you had enough?" The lion merely waves his other hand with a bit of a laugh. The deer is growing increasingly thin of patience.

"How about you drink with me, Louis?" asks the feline while holding up another glass.

"I don't drink while discussing business. I only drink to celebrate a closed deal."

"Ah, well, you're young. Probably can't handle too much, can you? I find that liquor brings out the honesty in everybody. I've been in the business of making money through contracts of opportunity for thirty years now. I wasn't always with Gizou, of course. My resume shows that wherever I get hired in, business blossoms and the yen starts falling from the trees like sakura." Donyoku pushes himself back over the desk with a broader grin and reclaims his seat. One hand holds up his glass and the other hand reaches out to clunk a snifter against the wood of the desk and begins to push it over in front of the deer. Louis' eyes are drawn down to the glass. "I'm sure if we just loosen up a bit and have a solid honest chat together you'll come to see things my way and then it will be a closed deal. I know what I'm doing."

Louis' eyes narrow and his hand reaches out toward the glass, but his fingers come to rest atop the hand over the glass pushing it his way. A sudden pressure traps that hand in place to press those digits against the thin lip of the glass in a way that has to be uncomfortable. Slowly rising from his seat, that hand-on-glass is pushed back the way it came equally as slowly. "Mister... Don-yo-ku..." Despite the words being spoken softly, the buck suddenly has the lion's full attention. The other hand drops the stack of papers onto the desktop. "Yes. Let's have an honest chat, shall we?"

"O-okay?" stammers the lion with shaken confidence and feeling frustrated internally over it.

"You see, I'm really quite relieved to hear you tell me you want to talk honestly, because for a moment there I was beginning to think you were trying to tell me what I was supposed to think." Louis hand pulls away from the lion's and he straightens to his full height. As he speaks, he grows ever closer to fully rounding his large desk, one step at a time, in absolutely no rush to get to where he plans on going.

"Well, then you-"

"No, really, it's my turn to talk now that you have enough of my booze to keep your mouth occupied for a few minutes. You think I don't know what's going on here, but you forget just which company's head office it is you've just walked into, and do you really for a moment truly think that my father would leave his legacy in the hands of some inept fawn struggling to drink anything that doesn't come from a bottle or a teat?" For every step that the deer grows closer to the seated lion, the more openly bold, demanding, and nigh-hostile becomes that spoken voice. "I see right through you and the goal you have in mind, Donyoku. I can see, smell, and taste what you're thinking so drink your liquor and stop trying to interrupt me and I'll tell you exactly what it is you're thinking."

Seated, Donyoku is still very tall compared to Louis. Even so, Louis walks right up and stares the lion in the eyes. "You're thinking about how much you'd like to eat me, how the smell of deer in this room makes you salivate uncontrollably, why you feverishly insist on drinking my supply in order to cover that reaction steeped in your desire. Don't think I didn't notice." A hand reaches out to grip the lion's lapel as he gets his face ever closer and his voice drops in volume to a harsh whisper. "And you can smell my injury, you know that I'm hurt, but you just can't figure out how. And just what do you think will happen to your precious tech company that hired you in to make a difference when you try to take a bite, hm? And don't tell me that this isn't what this is about."

"It's a scam, a ploy, a plot to injure my company, a company built on the legacy of Herbivores, so that critical investors like your Carnivore-run tech firm can step in and lap up the leftovers in some bid to show Carnivore superiority, and here I am opening my doors to you and you spit in my face." The lion is greatly distressed at this, but his large jaws are bared and it's clear that, at least now, he truly is fighting his inner beast over the desire to attack and kill and eat. The deer uses this to wrest the power of the meeting back under his control. They can smell each other's breath, even as Louis pulls on the lion's jacket to bring him fully down to his eye level. "So go ahead, you filthy lying cat. Try to eat me so I can ruin the rug under your feet -- a rug worth more than you could afford with a year's wage -- by spraying your head matter all over it with a single bullet. Your company will be crippled, compromised by the infraction, and they'll have no choice but to be completely bought out. Funny how Horns Conglomerate will be in the perfect position to take advantage of that, so, please, by all means, make a mental bet on if you can get the killing blow first before I can. This is my turf, Donyoku. My territory. You walked in here knowing the risk, so you'd better think very carefully about what the next thing out of your mouth is going to be."

Louis doesn't blink.

Seconds pass.

At length, the lion responds. With laughter. It's not hysterical laughter born of stress. It's not crazy or maniacal. It's a product of genuine amusement. The lion pulls his face away enough to grab his drink and drain it, then puts the glass back down...on a coaster. "You- You're amazing." Louis doesn't pull away, but he does lean back enough to rest his butt against the edge of the desk. The laughter continues for a while and the deer seems somehow patient enough to allow it to fully continue until its end. It finally dwindles and Donyoku is left regarding the buck in a very different light. "You really know how to talk business like a Carnivore, but as an Herbivore. I'm honestly impressed."

The stag's head moves from tipping one way to slightly tipping the other. His antlers happen to catch the light coming from the window behind him at this angle that really brings out the majestic shine on them. Louis quietly sighs.

"Look, Mister Louis, you don't have to forgive me for my approach, but it had to be done. I never thought I'd see the day an Herbivore could use my instincts against me." Donyoku sits up, now that his jacket is released, and goes about straightening his clothing. "The truth is that we have a contract lined up with your company already, though not by the name Gizou. It's under Himitsu. A subsidiary of Gizou, Mezio is just the flagship project name. We're good to go, and it'll all clear in time for the Expo, but-"

The red deer wrinkles his muzzle in a wry smile. "But you wanted to know who you were getting in bed with personally instead of just relying on a name being passed from one pair of hands to another."

The lion merely points and snaps. "You can't blame an older animal like me in wanting to use protection."

"Crude, but applicable." Louis is still not nearly as amused at this turn of events as the feline appears to be. The sad part is that he understands exactly the line of thought and justification that the Gizou Rep is using. The deer watches the lion rise, reach over to collect the papers on the desk, then put them away in his briefcase before closing it. "Leaving already?"

"Oh, yes. We covered in ten minutes what I thought would take two hours," laughs the lion with a professional smile. No teeth. "I need to make a few calls to fully confirm the deal, but after that we should have lunch together. And a drink -- you said closed deals. Mm? Mmm?" Louis crosses his arms.

"Get out of my office."

Although a stern statement of direction, this seems to be just as amusing to the lion who pleasantly laughs while casually heading to the door. "Stay safe and healthy and keep working hard." It isn't until the door closes that the deer's narrowed gaze changes to an eye-roll. He pushes from the edge of the desk and moves his hands to his face to rub.

"I did this to myself. I have nobody to blame but me. Ugh, Carnivores, why do I have to understand them so well and ''like'' it?" Turning to the side, the buck walks back around his desk and collapses into his over-sized chair for a moment before reaching over to buzz the attention of his chief secretary.

"Yes, Mister Louis?"

"Can you message Agata or Free to meet with me in an hour? I'll be leaving the office at that time. Also, I need somebody to come collect the used glasses from my minibar. Uh, also also, please mark the Saturday two weeks from now as being a day I'm unavailable. I'll be attending the Totemo-hai Science Expo out of town then, for business, and I won't want to be disturbed."

"Certainly, Mister Louis. Anything else?"

"No, thank you. I appreciate you."

"That's very kind of you, Mister Louis. Thank ''you''. I'll get right on those things for you. Have a great evening!"

Slumped in his chair, Louis stares down the untouched glass of liquor. It really doesn't agree with him, but maybe just one drink. Just one. Was every business meeting with Carnivores going to be like this? It's awful and disgusting and thrilling and somehow completely understandable all at the same time. "Why do I have to love Carnivores so much?"
</big>
|}}

2021-11-30 - An Honest Chat

2021-12-01T05:08:33Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=An Honest Chat |Summary=Business continues as usual, even after the alleyway attack that left Louis injured, and a special business meeting is slated to ta..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=An Honest Chat
|Summary=Business continues as usual, even after the alleyway attack that left Louis injured, and a special business meeting is slated to take place today.
|Who=[[Louis]]
|Date=November 30th, 2021
|Where=Horns Conglomerate Head Offices
|Log=
<big>
"Mister Louis; Donyoku, the representative from Gizou Medical Technologies, is here to see you."

The desktop intercom's interjection, despite being the bright voice of the front receptionist at the ground floor, does little to illuminate the dreary darkness of the CEO's office. Much as it was left by the late Oguma, there are few decorations that add emotion to the cold and well-calculated layout of its original design. A grandfather clock ticks quietly off to the side and the curtains behind the main desk chair are partially drawn. Some light from the overcast afternoon manages to slip in, but even the extra light does little to shake the heaviness of the room.

"Send him up, please."

The desk chair is too large for Louis. He feels so small in it, especially in knowing the stag that once filled it. Louis runs his fingers along the padded armrest to feel the grooves where a previous weight helped shape some contours. Yet another company representative aims to meet with the still fairly new CEO of the Horns Conglomerate to broker a deal and try to take advantage of things. Business is so cutthroat in the office. It was so much like the Black Market, but at least there animals didn't try to hide their intentions. It was distasteful and hazardous.

Mouth dry, Louis stands and wanders over to the wet bar to pour some water. The small stand is stocked with a few different liquors, but the young deer didn't care for any of them. They were there as a formality. Drinking in the office, for business, is something that seems to paradoxical, yet there it was. It even has a minifridge, but Louis only uses it for juices and water. Sipping the cool liquid, feeling it coat the inside of his throat as he swallows, his footsteps take him back over to the desk.

This is an important meeting. There won't be any negotiations over business what with it being purely a formality, but the right impression needs to be made nonetheless. Gizou Medtech is a fast growing company. Stocks will likely skyrocket. Making an investment would no doubt be wise. What would Oguma do?

Louis' gaze lowers to the picture on the desk of the grand stag. It was one of the only pictures he had of Oguma where he was actually smiling. Just a little. Such a keen mind behind those spectacles worn; the young stag's stare lingers only to be interrupted by a deep breath and a sigh. Louis places the glass down on the desk's edge, cradled by a coaster to protect the desk's finish, and his drifting eyes pass over the few sentimental things he keeps there: a wedding photo of himself and his wife, Azuki; a photo of himself and Legosi that the wolf insisted on having taken during a dinner a few months back; and there's a clear cork-sealed bottle with a clipping of golden hair inside. A bittersweet smile creeps onto Louis' face.

What would Ibuki do?

Checking the clock across the room, Louis takes his seat and reaches up with his left arm to rub at his right shoulder. Underneath the jacket and shirt, clean padding protects stitches from the assault the other night. It itches terribly, but all he can really do is give it a gentle rub now and then. Best to soothe it a little now before company arrives. The room feels so large. The furniture, too. Will it ever feel any smaller? Will he ever feel any bigger?

The door opens and Donyoku steps inside.

Donyoku is a lion.

Louis doesn't even realize he has straightened up in sitting posture and taken on a visual demeanor very similar to his father's. The eye contact across the room is immediate. Donyoku bows his head first and Louis doesn't, not until a beat later. A hand is lifted to gesture to the chairs in front of his desk. "Donyoku?"

"Mister Louis."

"Please make yourself comfortable."

"I shall! Thank you."

Walking over toward the desk, the nearly eight and a half foot tall lion towers over the seated five-foot-three deer. Donyoku places his briefcase into one chair, but he does not claim the other. Instead, the lion, one that appeared to be in his early fifties, walks over to the wet bar to pour himself a drink. This slightly throws Louis off who watches with slightly narrowed eyes. This expression is discarded for something more cordial, however, and adds in an invitational and only partially ironic, "Help yourself."

"You are most gracious, Mister Louis." Donyoku makes his way back to the desk and pauses next to the seat to peer down at the small deer. "CEO." He takes a sip of whiskey. "Horns Conglomerate." He takes another sip. "You know, I never thought I'd see the inside of this place." Until Louis took over, Horns Conglomerate only ever did business with Herbivores. For the sake of a statement of coexistence, however, Louis began changing that policy to help grow the company. Until now, it would be completely unheard of to see a feline-based Tech Company rep visiting in such a manner. It's a big deal and the lion isn't afraid to voice it.

"Times are changing," remarks Louis on the matter and the suit-wearing lion gestures with the liquor glass right at the stag.

"That they are! That they are." When Donyoku sits on that statement, he reaches out and places the glass on the desk. Louis doesn't miss the fact that the lion doesn't even bother to use a coaster. Still, he lets it go for the sake of business even if it does bother him. The sound of latches being undone signals the opening of that briefcase and a stack of papers are removed. "Now, I know it was said that you'd rather route most business through your legal department first, but I wanted to take the initiative to present to you, personally, a business partnership that you'll find most pleasing."

When the stack of papers are offered out over the desk, Louis does not reach out to take it. "Mister Donyoku," he says, formally, "It's against company policy. You'll have to submit your proposed contracts through the same channels as everybody else." The lion smiles brightly.

"Oh, well, of course, but you said it yourself: Times are changing. Simply having a look over it doesn't mean you have to agree to it. Come on, Louis. I know I'm being forward, but having a chance to be here, like this, to speak with you is such an honor that I feel it would be a waste to not present something like this, of this magnitude, to you." There's a hopeful look in Donyoku's eyes and for a moment it all seems very innocuous, but Louis has seen that look before.

Donyoku is completely unaware of Louis' history with the Shishigumi. Nearly everybody is, which is why it caused such a stir when he set Horns Conglomerate's legal department after freeing the felons to net them special sentencing as employees of one of the nation's most powerful businesses. During his time with the Shishigumi, Louis has encountered every size and shape of animal walking every possible path in life. He knows what the desperate and hopeful look like. He knows what the broken and hopeless look like. He also knows what it looks like to face down somebody hiding something. It was more than a poker face. Most business meetings are nothing but staring at poker faces while playing at ultimate manners and formalities.

This wasn't that.

"You're right, of course," admits the stag as he reaches out to take the stack of papers from the hand of the lion. When he grips and tugs, however, there is the slightest bit of hold kept on the lion's behalf before the lion lets go. It's enough to fully catch Louis' direct eye contact one more only to be met with a charming smile. Teeth. It's a smile, but he's showing teeth. Most Herbivores would get an instinctual aversion to this display and show a bit of weakness. Louis isn't most Herbivores. Louis smiles back as he pulls the papers over and begins to power-read over the details. "I was expecting a more casual discussion on your company, your current goals, and fiscal expectations of growth over the next eight quarters."

"You know what Gizou Medical Technologies is already about," answers the lion in a matter-of-fact tone. He's right about that, too. While the company has been around for two years already, it has recently hit a popularity boom. While the average citizen won't know the name, medical practitioners in clinics and hospitals are familiar with the company's newest designs and advances in medical technology. Investing money in the company is a surefire guarantee to getting amazing returns. A decade, well, that might be a mountain of money in difference.

"Then what can you tell me about your proposal?" asks the young buck while passing fingertips over the printed words, casually leafing through the multi-page document. Everything looks very standard, although the name Mezio seems to pop up very often and he doesn't recall hearing that name elsewhere.

"Nothing much greater than your typical mutual investment. We think we'd be a great asset regarding the future of Horns Conglomerate. We have the booming business in R&D to draw in many investors and ultimately we'd like to cement a partnership with your company, Louis. Being aligned with the likes of Horns Conglomerate alone would draw in even greater investments and that's without asking a single yen from you. All the same, we were hoping for a mutual investment of ten percent."

Louis looks up from the papers to glare at Donyoku unflinchingly. "I'm not selling your company ten percent of Horns Conglomerate's stock." Before the lion has a chance to rebuttal, the deer asks, "What can you tell me about Mezio?" The lion's eyes light up in sheer contradiction to the frustration that very briefly ignited within them.

"Ah, yes, you saw that. That's why the investment exchange is pretty high. Mezio is a secret project of Gizou, been hush-hush this past year, but there's going to be an unveiling at the Totemo-hai Science Expo."

"Totemo-hai. That's the event held at Dodome, isn't it?" Louis stares at the papers in hand once more as he recalls Legosi mentioning that his friend Jack is going to Dodome University. That was the day when Legosi insisted on that silly picture, but he had such a big smile on his face and how could Louis live with being such a terrible friend if he didn't relent. Legosi's grandfather, Gosha, was suppose to meet with them that night, but something came up. That silly wolf did his best to not look worried, but he always was terrible at hiding his feelings. What's Legosi doing today? It's not long until Rexmas and-

Why is he daydreaming about that wolf in the middle of a business meeting?!

"-be fairly prestigious, so we expect the news to hit hard and fast and stocks to skyrocket in worth. Actually, that's why I wanted to present this opportunity to you here and now, cut Horns Conglomerate in on the sudden boom before it happens," explains Donyoku while reaching to finish off the rest of his whiskey. "It's simply good business practice."

Actually, it's anything but. If Donyoku is under a non-disclosure agreement regarding this Mezio project and Horns Conglomerate was to buy in with Gizou for the sake of increased stock values, well, that wouldn't affect Gizou much at all, but it might legally wound the business so badly in public image that they'd lose investors themselves. Depending on the judicial fallout, the recovery period, legal fees, and bad PR might be almost unrecoverable unless they banked hard on mutual investors with a lot of money, much like what Donyoku is saying Gizou wants to do.

This is dangerous. "I think it's a bold idea, certainly, but it could be well worth the investment if we play a straight hand," Louis begins to say, but is cut off by a very rude lion.

"That's what I like to hear. Let's do this, Louis. Let's set up ourselves and our children to be fully made." There's that smile again.

Louis' mouth opens ever so slightly at this. "Not a bad idea. I'll pass this over to my legal team and we can be in contact with you about it in around a month." Donyoku suddenly stands up in alarm.

"No no no, you don't understand. If we want to move on this, we have to move on it now. The Totemo-hai Science Expo is in two weeks. It'll take almost that entire time to get this set in stone, but you'd have to sign today."

"Well, I'm afraid that it's impossible, then. You should have come to me sooner."

"Louis- You know this will work. You can feel it. Can you live with the regret of missing out on this?"

"Yes." Donyoku huffs at this and stalks back over to the wet bar to pour himself another drink, although this one looks to be a double. "Haven't you had enough?" The lion merely waves his other hand with a bit of a laugh. The deer is growing increasingly thin of patience.

"How about you drink with me, Louis?" asks the feline while holding up another glass.

"I don't drink while discussing business. I only drink to celebrate a closed deal."

"Ah, well, you're young. Probably can't handle too much, can you? I find that liquor brings out the honesty in everybody. I've been in the business of making money through contracts of opportunity for thirty years now. I wasn't always with Gizou, of course. My resume shows that wherever I get hired in, business blossoms and the yen starts falling from the trees like sakura." Donyoku pushes himself back over the desk with a broader grin and reclaims his seat. One hand holds up his glass and the other hand reaches out to clunk a snifter against the wood of the desk and begins to push it over in front of the deer. Louis' eyes are drawn down to the glass. "I'm sure if we just loosen up a bit and have a solid honest chat together you'll come to see things my way and then it will be a closed deal. I know what I'm doing."

Louis' eyes narrow and his hand reaches out toward the glass, but his fingers come to rest atop the hand over the glass pushing it his way. A sudden pressure traps that hand in place to press those digits against the thin lip of the glass in a way that has to be uncomfortable. Slowly rising from his seat, that hand-on-glass is pushed back the way it came equally as slowly. "Mister... Don-yo-ku..." Despite the words being spoken softly, the buck suddenly has the lion's full attention. The other hand drops the stack of papers onto the desktop. "Yes. Let's have an honest chat, shall we?"

"O-okay?" stammers the lion with shaken confidence and feeling frustrated internally over it.

"You see, I'm really quite relieved to hear you tell me you want to talk honestly, because for a moment there I was beginning to think you were trying to tell me what I was supposed to think." Louis hand pulls away from the lion's and he straightens to his full height. As he speaks, he grows ever closer to fully rounding his large desk, one step at a time, in absolutely no rush to get to where he plans on going.

"Well, then you-"

"No, really, it's my turn to talk now that you have enough of my booze to keep your mouth occupied for a few minutes. You think I don't know what's going on here, but you forget just which company's head office it is you've just walked into, and do you really for a moment truly think that my father would leave his legacy in the hands of some inept fawn struggling to drink anything that doesn't come from a bottle or a teat?" For every step that the deer grows closer to the seated lion, the more openly bold, demanding, and nigh-hostile becomes that spoken voice. "I see right through you and the goal you have in mind, Donyoku. I can see, smell, and taste what you're thinking so drink your liquor and stop trying to interrupt me and I'll tell you exactly what it is you're thinking."

Seated, Donyoku is still very tall compared to Louis. Even so, Louis walks right up and stares the lion in the eyes. "You're thinking about how much you'd like to eat me, how the smell of deer in this room makes you salivate uncontrollably, why you feverishly insist on drinking my supply in order to cover that reaction steeped in your desire. Don't think I didn't notice." A hand reaches out to grip the lion's lapel as he gets his face ever closer and his voice drops in volume to a harsh whisper. "And you can smell my injury, you know that I'm hurt, but you just can't figure out how. And just what do you think will happen to your precious tech company that hired you in to make a difference when you try to take a bite, hm? And don't tell me that this isn't what this is about."

"It's a scam, a ploy, a plot to injure my company, a company built on the legacy of Herbivores, so that critical investors like your Carnivore-run tech firm can step in and lap up the leftovers in some bid to show Carnivore superiority, and here I am opening my doors to you and you spit in my face." The lion is greatly distressed at this, but his large jaws are bared and it's clear that, at least now, he truly is fighting his inner beast over the desire to attack and kill and eat. The deer uses this to wrest the power of the meeting back under his control. They can smell each other's breath, even as Louis pulls on the lion's jacket to bring him fully down to his eye level. "So go ahead, you filthy lying cat. Try to eat me so I can ruin the rug under your feet -- a rug worth more than you could afford with a year's wage -- by spraying your head matter all over it with a single bullet. Your company will be crippled, compromised by the infraction, and they'll have no choice but to be completely bought out. Funny how Horns Conglomerate will be in the perfect position to take advantage of that, so, please, by all means, make a mental bet on if you can get the killing blow first before I can. This is my turf, Donyoku. My territory. You walked in here knowing the risk, so you'd better think very carefully about what the next thing out of your mouth is going to be."

Louis doesn't blink.

Seconds pass.

At length, the lion responds. With laughter. It's not hysterical laughter born of stress. It's not crazy or maniacal. It's a product of genuine amusement. The lion pulls his face away enough to grab his drink and drain it, then puts the glass back down...on a coaster. "You- You're amazing." Louis doesn't pull away, but he does lean back enough to rest his butt against the edge of the desk. The laughter continues for a while and the deer seems somehow patient enough to allow it to fully continue until its end. It finally dwindles and Donyoku is left regarding the buck in a very different light. "You really know how to talk business like a Carnivore, but as an Herbivore. I'm honestly impressed."

The stag's head moves from tipping one way to slightly tipping the other. His antlers happen to catch the light coming from the window behind him at this angle that really brings out the majestic shine on them. Louis quietly sighs.

"Look, Mister Louis, you don't have to forgive me for my approach, but it had to be done. I never thought I'd see the day an Herbivore could use my instincts against me." Donyoku sits up, now that his jacket is released, and goes about straightening his clothing. "The truth is that we have a contract lined up with your company already, though not by the name Gizou. It's under Himitsu. A subsidiary of Gizou, Mezio is just the flagship project name. We're good to go, and it'll all clear in time for the Expo, but-"

The red deer wrinkles his muzzle in a wry smile. "But you wanted to know who you were getting in bed with personally instead of just relying on a name being passed from one pair of hands to another."

The lion merely points and snaps. "You can't blame an older animal like me in wanting to use protection."

"Crude, but applicable." Louis is still not nearly as amused at this turn of events as the feline appears to be. The sad part is that he understands exactly the line of thought and justification that the Gizou Rep is using. The deer watches the lion rise, reach over to collect the papers on the desk, then put them away in his briefcase before closing it. "Leaving already?"

"Oh, yes. We covered in ten minutes what I thought would take two hours," laughs the lion with a professional smile. No teeth. "I need to make a few calls to fully confirm the deal, but after that we should have lunch together. And a drink -- you said closed deals. Mm? Mmm?" Louis crosses his arms.

"Get out of my office."

Although a stern statement of direction, this seems to be just as amusing to the lion who pleasantly laughs while casually heading to the door. "Stay safe and healthy and keep working hard." It isn't until the door closes that the deer's narrowed gaze changes to an eye-roll. He pushes from the edge of the desk and moves his hands to his face to rub.

"I did this to myself. I have nobody to blame but me. Ugh, Carnivores, why do I have to understand them so well and ''like'' it?" Turning to the side, the buck walks back around his desk and collapses into his over-sized chair for a moment before reaching over to buzz the attention of his chief secretary.

"Yes, Mister Louis?"

"Can you message Agata or Free to meet with me in an hour? I'll be leaving the office at that time. Also, I need somebody to come collect the used glasses from my minibar. Uh, also also, please mark the Saturday two weeks from now as being a day I'm unavailable. I'll be attending the Totemo-hai Science Expo out of town then, for business, and I won't want to be disturbed."

"Certainly, Mister Louis. Anything else?"

"No, thank you. I appreciate you."

"That's very kind of you, Mister Louis. Thank ''you''. I'll get right on those things for you. Have a great evening!"

Slumped in his chair, Louis stares down the untouched glass of liquor. It really doesn't agree with him, but maybe just one drink. Just one. Was every business meeting with Carnivores going to be like this? It's awful and disgusting and thrilling and somehow completely understandable all at the same time. "Why do I have to love Carnivores so much?"
</big>
|}}

File:Mogwin-icon.gif

2021-11-29T18:49:32Z

Louis:

Mogwin

2021-11-29T18:49:02Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Profile| Title=Mogwin the Red Mage |Image=Mogwin.jpg |Name=Mogwin |Series=Final Fantasy |Occupation=Red Mage |Alignment=Good |Gender=Male |Species=Moogle |Hangout= |Continen..."

{{Profile|
Title=Mogwin the Red Mage
|Image=Mogwin.jpg
|Name=Mogwin
|Series=Final Fantasy
|Occupation=Red Mage
|Alignment=Good
|Gender=Male
|Species=Moogle
|Hangout=
|Continent=Distant Oceans
|Desc=
----
A short figure hovering over the ground most of the time, flapping little bat wings that one wonders might be too small for the task. Mogwin is not an intimidating figure, a short, round looking creature covered in red fur, only exception on the coloration being his pink, pointed nose and a red circle of fluff (his Pom) connected to his head by a long, relatively thin 'tendril' a bit like an anglerfish light, except it usually is kept upright, even if it wobbles some with movement. The small creature has stubby limbs, but seems unhindered by the fact as it can manipulate and do anything just as well.

The creature seems to be an adventurer of some sort, wearing a fancy, almost oversized red cape and a lovely red cap on its head, custom made to let the pom poke from one end without being out of place. He also has a rapier, with an ornate hilt, which houses a small red gem. The moogle keeps it safely held in a custom rapier 'belt' even if, due to his size, he wears it like a sash.
|Background=
----
Mogwin is originally from Eorzea where he went to Red Mage school where he learned to cast spells and fight with swords, though maybe he skipped a few classes. After becoming an official Red Mage he began traveling the land of Eorzea to do minor quests in helping people out. Never really facing failure in his wandering adventures he was wholly unprepared for when a Teleportation spell went awry and he -didn't- wind up where he intended.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Mogwin.jpg

2021-11-29T18:48:25Z

Louis:

2021-11-22 - What Darkness Lurks

2021-11-24T18:11:55Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=What Darkness Lurks in the Streets and in the Hearts of Those that Dwell There |Summary=Taking a shortcut home from a late night out, Junji the Goat is fol..."

{{Logsummary|
Title=What Darkness Lurks in the Streets and in the Hearts of Those that Dwell There
|Summary=Taking a shortcut home from a late night out, Junji the Goat is followed by three dark shapes with blood on their breath.
|Who=[[Amaryllis]], [[Louis]]
|Date=November 22nd, 2021
|Where=Denko Alleyway, near the Yasai Diner
|Log=

Footsteps heavily slap against the cold concrete path leading between run down buildings. What meager lighting is available on the nearby street is lost completely in the long constricting alleyways. Panting with panicked huffs and puffs, heated breath spilling into the chilly night air in curling puffs of moisture, the four foot tall individual tries to dodge the refuse and litter that clogs the way. They fail. With a loud clatter of a fall, the animal trips over a broken broom handle and eats the pavement hard. The stick upsets a nearby garbage can which goes rolling, loudly. If they had any measure of distance from whatever chases them, the potential to lose the threat is lost immediately.

Knees and hands aching, a tooth chipped, the horned victim begins to crawl away from the three shadows slowly closing in on them. "'''G,get away, leave me alone,'''" protests the poor soul through a bleeding mouth, but when a clawed hands grips their ankle almost crushingly to start dragging them backwards the voice rings out again, yet louder. "'''N- NO! Help, somebody! Som-'''" Claws dig into flesh and the voice breaks into a cry of anguish amid sadistic laughter.

Curiosity winning over her shyness, Lillia has found her way to Beast Island, though after a bit of time in Denko and shying away from the stares and hushed whispers she is getting from most of the citizens, she really starts to question if coming here was the best idea. Now quite lost and heading into a more run-down part of town, she wonders how today could get any worse. The answer comes as a loud crash reaches her ears, followed by a frightened voice telling someone to get away, then crying for help.

She ponders a moment what to do. Normally she'd go get help, but she doesn't know anyone around here and even finding a helpful stranger now that the busier parts of the city are fairly far behind her seems unlikely. Her tail twitches nervously as she realizes she's the only one that can help the person who is crying out. She swallows hard and grips her branch tightly as she speaks to the dream glowing within the blossom hanging from its end. "'''Alright Dream! It's time to be brave, someone needs help, and no one else is around. So... it's up to us...'''"

So the dream-fawn bounds off toward the impending danger, the clatter of her hooves against the pavement making it pretty unlikely that she's going to arrive on the scene unnoticed, and before long she comes into view, her gaze flitting from the one who fell to the one who was chasing him. "'''D..don't you t,think he's injured enough? W...why don't you let him g..go?'''" She stutters out as her tail continues to twitch rapidly while she tries to face her fears for the sake of helping this pour soul.
----
Just mere moments ago, a goat stepped out of a diner having just finished a great salad for a late dinner. He checks his phone to confirm the time and realizes that it's gotten far later than he anticipated. Sighing, the phone is tucked away and his jacket is pulled a little tighter around himself. It's gotten a bit chilly out tonight and the coastal humidity doesn't make it any warmer. "'''Great, I'm gonna be late,'''" he muses, walking along the path home he knows well enough. He pauses for a moment and wrestles with a decision. If he's late, he'll miss his ride for the group-up with friends in studying for the big test in Chem. That could be a huge problem if he gets a low grade since the course has already been a bit rocky. Glancing over his shoulder, he looks toward the darkened alleyways behind and through the worn down and dilapidated storefronts of the area. This gets a good long stare; if he takes a shortcut he'll make it just in time. The area is a bit slummy, but it's not like the way the Black Market used to be. The city has been undergoing changes. He should be safe.

With one last glance toward his usual route home, he begins heading toward the alleyway entrance instead.
----
The goat finds himself lifted up by a single large hand, by the throat, gripped aloft in the darkness of the alleyway that leaves him completely blind. He can't even see the face of his attacker a foot away. The tiger, though; the tiger can see the goat just fine. The goat and his widened eyes, gasping for air, squirming helplessly against such strength. The striped feline is flanked by a coyote and a wolf. The wolf turns to look in the direction of strange footsteps that lend to the introduction of a shaky voice and a very peculiar bearer of those spoken words.

"'''The fuck- Hey, look at this girl.'''"

A hand nudges the tiger's shoulder. The tiger doesn't look. "'''I'm busy. I'm not going to miss the light fading from my FOOD's eyes.'''" That's not a very cryptic word to use at all. The implications are damning.

The coyote peers around the wolf in that direction, one side of his muzzle lifts in confusion, but then laughter follows. "'''HA HA hahahahaha HA HA HAAAAA!'''" This outburst finally gets the tiger to relent and looks. In so doing, his grip loosens and the goat is able to breathe, but there's no escape to be had just yet.

Lillia's eyes widen as it becomes clear that the tiger is choking the goat to death, and he has friends. She stands her ground as the wolf gives her a, perhaps more unsettling stare than most in central Denko and tells the others to look at her. "'''Eeep!'''" She cries as the tiger mentions wanting to watch as his 'food' shuffles off his mortal coil. Then the coyote looks and laughs, and the tiger's gaze follows.

She really doesn't like these odds, as the goat is probably not going to be doing any fighting anytime soon, which makes it three on one, and after her experiences in Senta, she's not naive enough to hope that these two-legged carnivores aren't carrying weapons, though even if they aren't, their claws and teeth are dangerous enough. But maybe she can at least help the goat escape, and beyond that, she is pretty sure she can outrun these guys, assuming being a quadruped gives her an advantage when it comes to running.

Since it doesn't look like the Tiger intends to let go of the goat, she steps forward while the coyote is still cruelly laughing at how different she looks, and swings her branch. The flower bud censer glows and spawns a large seed of sorts with a glowing swirl pattern extending from its center. The seed rolls toward the Tiger and will explode when it strikes something, and will deal magical damage in a cone shape and cause those it hits to briefly feel a little sleepy/sluggish.
----
The moment the goat began to walk away from the diner, eyes were already on him. A trio of Carnivores dealing with Meat-Withdrawal lurked nearby, watching and waiting, after deciding a week ago that they were going to find some prey to give them their fix that fish just wouldn't satisfy. Ever since the fall of the Black Market the ability to get proper red meat has been next to impossible without the proper underworld contacts. Due to legal loophole, while killing people to sell their flesh is absolutely illegal, people were able to get supply from funeral homes and other medical services and hospitals. That watering hole has dried up, though, leaving a select handful of meat addicts in a really problematic position.

As the goat disappeared into the darkness of the alleyways, the trio pass something to drink between them, taking a sip each, before following. Their minds were made up.
----
Encountering a mugging is one thing. Having people threaten to cause injury without payment is nasty business. Even worse are other forms of physical defilement. This, though: This was a threat of murder and five steps beyond. The tiger and wolf and coyote didn't seem like your average citizens, either. There was something almost feral in the blood lust in their eyes. From an outside perspective the cause may be unclear, but to local authorities it would be clear precisely why.

The goat doesn't struggle. Mind racing, just able to breathe and think, he uses the distraction brought on by this other person showing up that he simply cannot see. He reaches into his jacket pocket where his phone is located, presses a button to turn it on, and does his best to use muscle memory in dialing a number.

The wolf stands closest of the three. Even though the strange deer thing has all attention on her, the wolf is the prime target for whatever strange bowling trick this is. It's a rather hypnotic display considering how pitch dark it is in the alleyway. Just as the rolling seed is about to impact with the group, though, the coyote suddenly darts forward, draws his leg back, and aims to give that strange rolling item a swift soccer kick. The magical explosion prevents any sort of follow-up sneer; the 'yote catches the worst of it and is sent backwards.

The wolf barely manages to dodge the body of his comrade, but the arcane force that spreads from that point hits him, the tiger, and the goat all the same. The wolf staggers. The goat's finger slips. A voice chimes up over speakerphone:

"'''Denko Police. How may I assist you?'''"

The tiger's gaze snaps back to the goat despite the bodily sluggishness and the hand not holding the goat up by the throat reaches over to fight over the phone hidden in that jacket pocket. The goat quickly begins to blurt out in a croak, "'''Help, I'm near Yasai Diner, they're trying to eat m-khhhhh!'''" The phone connection gets cut off, the grip grows tighter, and in the tiger's fury he turns to throw the Herbivore into the side of a large metal garbage bin. There's a dull thump and the goat, now unconscious, collapses to the ground.

The tiger snarls, teeth showing, while the coyote is sprawled out and the wolf is off-balance.

Her attack didn't hit its intended target, but it still sprayed its magical dream dust upon them all as the coyote foolishly tries to kick the magical swirlseed away. Lillia frowns as the tiger throws the goat into the trashbin and knocks him out. However, she doesn't yet grasp what phones are, so while she does recognize the voice on the other end as offering help, she isn't sure how they're going to help from inside a tiny box.

She bounds forward a bit and swings her censer again while chanting a soothing lullaby, hoping to bring her foes into a slumber now that they're under the effect of her dream dust. She would really rather not fight them directly, but if they resist this, will do what she must.
----
One week ago, there was an argument in one of the run down housing buildings nearby. A wolf sits on a half-broken stool and doesn't look he's had much sleep for a few days. In the corner of the room a half-dressed coyote sits on the floor and grips the sides of his head with his clawed hands. Though the nails draw blood, he doesn't seem to notice. His eyes are dilated completely, his jaw hangs loosely open, and he looks completely strung out. There is a tiger, too, pacing back and forth like a caged beast almost completely wearing a line through the meager rug covering the dirty floor.

Harsh feelings and deep aches, shaky hands and bouts ranging from fuzzy-headedness to hyper-focus when around Herbivores; these three friends, once promising students in high school, have fallen flat after graduating and being almost immediately introduced to the pleasures of the Black Market. What hidden supply remained after the closure and renovation of that taboo area has since dried up. While they made choices to eat meat, they were, in a way, victims of social progression and the major changes that have rocked the nation in waves spiraling outward from the aftermath of the Denko Riots. Sadly, these three are just a sample of those suffering from the same problem.

"'''We don't have any other choice'''," the tiger says. "'''We've gotta hunt down our own meat.'''"

"'''Ohhhh, meat. Fuck, fuck, fuck...'''" moans the coyote unhelpfully. The wolf tiredly speaks up.

"'''What about that diner down the street? Yasai? Lots of Herbis eat there. They stay open late.'''"

Breathing heavily, the tiger continues pacing. "'''Fine. Fine. We have to last at least a week. I can get us some blood to hit once we find our meal, keep our heads clear, pump us up. Contact will sell me just enough for each of us to get a taste. One week,'''" he repeats, raking his claws over the wall.
----
Those claws rake over the brick wall as footsteps carry the striped would-be predator a few paces closer in the direction of this meddling stranger. "'''You STUPID fucking UGLY hybrid!'''" rumbles the tiger with a wobble. The wolf is not faring so well. He stumbles, eyes heavy, before beginning to topple over into the path of the feline. A determined hand reaches out and gives the wolf a shove to the side roughly. The lupine stumbles over to the other side of the narrow alleyway and drunkenly runs into the brick there before trying ''very hard'' to walk in the same direction as the apparent leader of the group. The coyote has yet to get up from the ground.

The animal that stalks toward the fawn doesn't resemble the average denizen of the city. Most of the animals look, well, normal. The tiger, though, seems to look more and more like a wild beast with each step. Lips rise, teeth are shown, and they are dangerously large. Saliva drips from those jaws while eyes narrow and focus on a new target. A foot presses against the concrete, another shoves against the brick wall, and just like that the blood-doped Carnivore pounces with outstretched arms and nasty-looking sharp claws.

One-two! Swipe-swipe! An aerial born strike on the dream deer is unleashed, forged with savagery, painted in hunger, and cured with bestial strength. "'''GrrrrrrrRRRRAAAAAAAH!'''"

Unfortunately for Lillia, the hard shove the tiger gives his wolf companion will serve to help him resist the effects of her lullaby. As the tiger advances on her, her eyes widen and she grips her branch even tighter, knuckles turning white. She's too afraid to even make a sound as she backs away slowly, knowing what is coming but feeling he was already too close for her to be able to turn around and run away before he pounced her.

"'''Eeep!'''" She finally cries again as he leaps at her, and she leaps as well, though not quick enough to completely avoid the swiping claws of the tiger, the first rakes along her flank, and the smell of blood enters the air as those claws slice through her skin. She then leaps back toward the tiger, swinging her censer above her head before making a final swing down toward the tiger. The magical energy that comes from the strike hits hardest at the center of the blow, but also has a somewhat lesser effect in a small radius around the bullseye.

"'''I d..didn't want to fight, b..but you won't be eating me w..without one!'''" She speaks, trying to sound brave, but fails miserably with her nervous stuttering.
----
After the wolf and the coyote took a hit from the vial of blood and the tiger was left to drain the rest, the two smaller Carnivores began stalking the alley-bound goat first. The tiger doesn't immediately follow, however. He pulls a second vial from his pocket, unknown to his friends, and opens it to have all to himself. The smell is already intoxicating. A remarkably easy drug to create, complicated only by the supplies needed to make it, the tiger downs the hit of Bloodbone before crushing the vial underfoot with his heavy yet worn boots. The effects are almost immediate and while they won't last long before withdrawal hits it'll enough to make sure the three get a proper meal.
----
The blow sends the tiger straight to the ground and into a roll that ends in a crouch. Nose bleeding, eyes bloodshot, the true nightmare haunting the animals of the island becomes dangerously apparent. Fingers are passed over the tiger's face, claws sliding over the saliva-slicked tongue that sticks free, cleaning the taste from them. It's an extremely vulgar display that accompanies an extremely unpleasant sentiment.

The wolf finally manages to make it to the feline's side. He doesn't look nearly as feral as the tiger does, but he's definitely in the intoxicating thrall of blood lust. Just as the tiger begins to rise and the wolf takes a step forward to charge, however, an unexpected thing happens:

A blinding double-spotlight cuts on that illuminates the alley in its entirety from behind the Bashful Bloom that destroys the Carnivores' vision for the moment. Lillia herself becomes a silhouette. Another silhouette comes into focus through the intense light streaming from a car's headlamps. It's...another deer? This one walks right past the claw-marked fawn without even looking her way. There are bigger threats present and he's making himself the more direct target.

"'''How utterly disgraceful. Instead of seeking help like a functional member of society, instincts win over common sense. That makes you ''basic''.'''"

It all happens very quickly. The wolf charges the stag, the stag doesn't even move until the last moment where he first dodges one way, then again to the other side, yet the wolf manages to catch the deer across the forearm anyway. The deer lifts a knee directly up between the lupine's thighs before the wolf can follow through in this assault. The wolf falls aside with a yelp only to reveal the titan of a tiger's fist incoming in a downward blow, but the stag cradles his injured arm against his pristine button-down shirt and silk tie.

Lillia blinks as the bright lights illuminate the alley, momentarily blinding her. She backs away a bit more as she hears a new voice, which seems to be speaking to the carnivores. Finally, she can see clearly and watches as the stag begins to fight the tiger and wolf, impressed at how well he is working against the two, but now is not the time to just stand back and admire the snappily dressed stag who appears to be much more familiar with fighting than she is.

Emboldened by the fact that she isn't fighting alone anymore, Lillia charges forward and turns around as the tiger rears back for his punch. Shifting her weight forward, she sends both of her rear hooves backward in a swift and powerful double kick aimed at the tiger's stomach.

The sound that the tiger makes upon double-hooved impact is almost pitiable, but the feline makes for a hefty beast. Pushed up and off his feet from the blow, the tiger falls backward to the ground sending a wave of refuse and debris from the point of impact. The swing taken toward the stag goes wide and misses, mostly, though it clips the end of his antlers giving his head a jerk to the side. Because of this, the deer does not see the wolf getting back to his feet. So much focus is on the biggest bruiser of the lot. Grabbed by the shoulder and spun about by the blood-fueled canine, yet another fist is raised and aimed. Before the strike can be delivered, however, a much larger hand completely encases the wolf's from behind.

"'''Keep your filthy fucking hands off my boss,'''" says the light-hidden figure just before wrenching the wolf's arm downward and behind with a sickening pop. The large suit-wearing lion steps forward into view just as he spins the wolf around using his broken arm like a handle and doesn't stop until the wolf is forced to crash hard into the brickwork with a terrible cracking sound. The sound of the air leaving his lungs only punctuates his inevitable collapse.

Down but not out, the tiger is already trying to get back to his feet. He does not look well, and that's not counting the bleeding and the bruising. He looks like a mix of exhaustion and desperation is clouding his mind and judgement. "'''Look out,'''" weakly calls out a voice from further down the alleyway. It's the goat. Thanks to the headlamps, he can now see, but he's too weak to get to his feet.

Lillia lets out another cry as she sees lions enter the fray, as she initially thinks they are enemies. But as one of them takes out the wolf and mentions a boss, whom in context she can only assume he means the stag, she is left rather confused but figuring they must be here to help. Hearing the goat call, she glances in his direction briefly, then turns back to the tiger as he attempts to get back up. "'''You... look exhausted. Why don't you take a nice nap...'''" She advises while swirling her censure toward the feline, giving him another, more direct dose of magical energy and her dream dust before she begins once again to chant her lullaby.

A new sound can be heard in the air echoing down the city streets and back alleys: sirens. These are still some distance off, but they do seem to be coming toward the present conflict. Forearm still tucked against his belly, the deer steps around the dream-weaver after shrugging off attention from the tall lion. Boldly walking closer to where the tiger crouches as the stranger does whatever it is she's doing, this deer sees the strange effect it has first-hand.

The tiger's gaze turns to the stag once more as the small Herbivore once again walks in closer. There's murder in those eyes. Still, the effort to even raise one arm is taxing. Reaching in the general direction of the stag's throat, fingers never fully make it. The tiger's claws graze over the deer's tie before falling away. The beast's weight settles into a forward slump right at the deer's feet. All this unnamed stag can do is shake his head in disappointment. He doesn't show it now, but this situation deeply bothers him. There will be talks later.

Stepping slightly over the slumbering tiger, the deer walks on over to the goat. "'''You okay?'''"

Lillia Amaryllis also has somebody standing beside her. It's a Maasai Lion. Barely any mane for a male lion, though. It's cut very short into a flat-top and a dark spot surrounds his right eye in marking. "'''How did you do that?'''"

Lillia is glad that her magic is able to lull the tiger into slumber this time, as it's likely the blood lust high he was experiencing earlier was what allowed him to resist her magic so easily. She didn't get out of this unscathed but the claw scratch would heal, and it would have probably been a lot worse if this strange stag and his lion guards didn't show up when they did.

She glances over as the stag goes to check on the goat, glad someone was doing that and now she didn't feel the need to crowd the poor guy. Instead, she turns to the lion that addresses her and smiles at his question. "'''Magic dream dust. It is my mission to help others sleep easier and realize their deepest and most heartfelt dreams.'''"

"'''I- I think I'm okay. My head really hurts,'''" informs the goat as he reaches up to take an offered hand. Chances are high that the goat has a nasty concussion and will require some hospital time.

"'''Don't worry. You're safe now. These two thugs are going to get the help they need,'''" replies the stag as hands mesh and a pull begins to bring the goat upward with support.

The lion isn't sure quite what to make of that response. "'''Really?'''" While his days in a gang are over, he still specializes in keeping track of underworld activities. It's an important pulse of the city to track. All the same, he's never heard of Magic Dream Dust as a drug or medical substance. Something worth discussing. However, before the feline is able to speak there is another sound from down the way.

"'''Augh!'''" groans the goat as he slumps back to the ground suddenly when the deer pulls away. Or, rather, the deer is pulled away. An arm is around his neck and a clawed hand holds his injured arm, nails digging into the wound. The stag can't help but hiss from the sudden stinging pain. The lion pushes forward a few paces, but stops when the coyote holding the deer hostage barks a warning.

"'''I can't- I can't- IcantstanditcantstanditIcant-'''"

The captured deer stares straight ahead into the blinding lights, mind racing to take in the situation as it suddenly changes, and is noticeably extremely angry. For every step Jinma, the lion, takes forward, the coyote takes two more backward dragging the deer along with him. It's not a good situation to be in, especially with the coyote bleary, confused, doped up, and hungry.

"'''I need meat!'''"

The deer's eyes swell at the feeling of teeth on his shoulder, digging through cloth and flesh effortlessly, leaving Jinma helpless to get there in time to stop it. The goat even cries out at this. An ear-splitting sound resonates twice, loud and booming, further amplified by the close walls on either side of the alleyway. The coyote very quickly drops to the ground, now writing in sheer agony, as the deer standing over him holds a smoking gun. Trickles of red begin to seep into and stain the white of his shirt while he pants hotly from pain and furiousness.

"'''''Nobody'' gets to eat me without my consent,'''" he says, although it may be difficult to hear over the ringing of ears for the more sensitive. The same might be said of the sirens nearly fully arrived.

Of course Lillia's response is terribly misunderstood because the lion has probably never seen real magic, though as more visitors come from Senta and beyond, that will likely change. She doesn't really have time to further elaborate though as the stag is suddenly grabbed by the Coyote. She watches helplessly as the situation progresses, not sure what she can do to help as trying to get close will likely only cause the coyote to do further harm to the stag.

Then comes the gunshot, and the loud bang does cause ringing in her sensitive ears, which instantly flatten down against her head in an attempt to protect her eardrums. The shock of it all though, does something further, as the fae-fawn staggers a bit, then collapses on the spot. Seems she just fainted.

The deer re-switches the safety on his handgun before tucking it away again then turns away with a visible cringe. "'''Damn it. I was careless.'''" Jinma is quickly there to put an arm around the stag to steady him. "'''No, I'll be fine. Check on him.'''" Strangely, the lion's boss doesn't seem to mean the goat. Pulling from the lion's support, the deer walks over and kneels down beside the goat while the lion checks on the coyote.

"'''Nothing serious, but he's losing blood.'''"

"'''Good. Ssssss, ow. Can't rehab if you're dead.'''" The deer gives the goat a pat on the shoulder just before turning to look down over toward Lillia. "'''I've never seen anything like her before,'''" he admits, breathing shallowly. "'''Oh! Hey, Jinma, she fell over. Did she get hurt?'''" Exhaling deeply, the deer leans back against the wall and tips his head upward. "'''Not how I saw my night going. I'm Louis. What's your name?'''"

"'''Junji,'''" says the goat. Both the goat and deer look to the fawn. Meanwhile, Jinma approaches the emergency response vehicles that pull up nearby. The sirens cut off, but the lights continue to flicker. Talking ensues in the background, but hearing is still a little difficult for the stag. It won't be but a moment and medics will begin to sweep the area along with well-armed police. The lion moves the car and turns off the headlights while a flashlight passes over each form in turn: Fawn, Wolf, Tiger, Goat and Deer, and Coyote.

Lillia lays there for a short while, not stirring but breathing normally. Eventually between the bright lights and the sirens, perhaps also her head getting a little better circulation now that she's laying down, the fawn begins to come too, as her ears twitch a little and her eyes slowly flutter open. She stares at the cars around and the stag, goat, and lion who are in view for a moment, eventually trying to stand but she's still too woozy to get her legs to cooperate. She can't say this is how she expected her night to go either. "'''Lillia...'''" She gives her name before her eyes close again.
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Calm lighting fills the clinical room and the adjacent waiting area. Lillia will most likely awaken to find herself on a recovery bed. The claw wounds on her flank have been cleaned and bandaged, although the bandaging now hides the fact that there had to be some shaving to clear the area for proper sutures. There are no doctors present. Just outside the room, in a waiting area, the deer from before sits along with that one lion, but two other lions now join. One has a scarred right eye and a lively grin while the other bears a Mohawk-styled mane and wears a bandanna as a mask over his face. All three lions wear perfectly tailored suits.

The stag is briefly shirtless. His shoulder has also been shaved for stitches. Same for his left forearm. A folded black shirt is handed over by the masked lion and the deer, so small compared to the size of such guards, stands and takes a moment to put the shirt on. They speak softly, conversationally, aside from occasional laughter. The stag, Louis, very clearly checks to make sure the button-down shirt hides the injuries. The old shirt and tie disposed of due to being caked in blood and now without a tie, Louis leaves the upper two buttons of his shirt undone.

A passing glance is given toward where the fawn has been placed to rest. There are no IVs, no tubes, nothing to keep her from getting up aside from her own will.

Lillia eventually begins to awaken, and when her eyes open, she is initially shocked by her surroundings before the rational side of her brain can process how she was likely brought here after the events in the alley. She notices she is alone in the room but sees that familiar stag outside, now joined with more lions. She feels an itch on her flank and reaches to scratch it, she then looks to see the bandages just after feeling them with her hand.

She panics for a moment and looks around for her branch, relaxing again as she sees it sitting on a nearby counter. Finally, she rolls onto her belly, legs folded at her sides and stretches a little, and then her stomach growls. She blushes a bit, then laughs. "'''With all this adventure, I guess I forgot to eat dinner. Though I'm glad I didn't become it at least...'''"

"'''It looks like the heroine of the night is awake,'''" comments Louis with the softest of friendly expressions. "'''You heard the lady. Go grab some snacks and give us a couple minutes to talk.'''"

"'''No problem, boss.'''"

"'''We'll be right back.'''"

The lion with the mask reaches over to pat the stag's unhurt shoulder with a nod before turning to follow along after the other two. In turn, Louis stretches with a yawn but is careful of his sore shoulder. "'''You're free to leave, whenever you want, as long as it's sometime before six in the morning. They collected your things, from what they could find. Should be in there somewhere.'''" Walking around a little in the waiting area, the deer doesn't dare to intrude upon Lillia's room without invitation.

"'''You missed all the fun, though. Paperwork and police reports. I covered everything for you, though, so be sure to be grateful.'''" Louis turns his head to offer a playfully wry smile.

Lillia smiles as Louis asks the lions to go and get snacks, and assumes since their boss is a deer, they have a pretty good chance of bringing snacks she might like. "'''You can come in, if you like, so we don't have to shout at each other through a wall.'''" Lillia offers the stag with a laugh. His sarcasm about paperwork and police reports goes over her head, though instead of asking about that, she goes with the timing of her leaving. "'''What happens after six in the morning?'''"

The deer takes a moment to adjust his shirt collar and brush a hand over his belly to smooth some creases. The lions know how to do many things, but ironing a shirt is not on that list. Walking casually over, Louis stops in the doorway, leans in against the frame with his good shoulder, and loosely crosses his arms in slow deep exhalation. "'''Well, after that, I'd have to pay for an extra day. Not that I mind, if you need it, after what you did. Still, a hotel room would be far cheaper and you would have fewer people dropping by every hour to check on you.'''"

For as bold as his appearance may have been earlier, the stag looks very tired now. He just doesn't have the energy after that confrontation to keep up any sort of front. For the moment he looks just like any other young adult you'd pass on the street. His eyes show that he bears many thoughts. He does not voice many. "'''The goat you saved, Junji, wants a chance to thank you, by the way. It won't be tonight, though. He took a really hard blow to the back of his head and he suffered a partial trachial collapse, so he'll be here for the rest of the week at the very least. Might be able to visit tomorrow, but he's under strict observation right now. Lucky kid.'''"

Lillia nods and laughs a little at the response from Louis. "'''Money is still a fairly new concept for me. I do understand it is used to pay for things, but why one place costs more than another... Well, I'm guessing it has something to do with those people checking on me...'''" She guesses, able to figure that one out on her own. "'''I'm glad to hear that Junji is ok, I wasn't expecting to run into three bloodthirsty carnivores when I heard his call for help, but saving him was well worth getting scratched by that tiger, just glad you showed up when you did, or I'm sure I'd be in worse shape.'''"

The deer's gaze falters and falls away as his nose dips downward. "'''Just to be clear, that was dangerous and irresponsible. It could have gone a lot worse. It was a job for the police or even the Beastar. Well, former Beastar.'''" Strangely, the words seem directed as much toward himself as they are toward the fawn. Louis frowns. "'''Still, Yafya didn't show. You did. And you were amazing.'''" This statement is directed purely to Lillia as the casual glance shows that accompanies it.

"I don't know how Legosi does it..." he mutters and can't help but reach to his shoulder and very lightly rub over it. It's sore, but it also itches underneath the bandaging.

"'''Lillia,'''" the stag addresses, voice volume lifting just a bit to show serious intonation. "'''The truth is that I had Jinma follow you in the car when we spotted you. Coincidental and rude, but I'm not going to lie about it. There's been a huge stir in the city lately around hybrid animals. More have come out of hiding and the combinations are...wonderful? Sometimes they're confusing and horrifying, too. We thought you might be a special case, what with the part of the city you were wandering, and that's when we saw you get jumped by that tiger.'''"

The deer and the lion must have pulled up and cut their lights on at that point. "'''Jinma told me you said you had used some kind of dream magic to put the tiger to sleep, but I have a feeling you didn't mean hypnotism. A good thing you did. The police may have had little choice to use lethal force to stop his rampage otherwise.'''"

Lillia nods, not disagreeing that what she did was very dangerous. "'''I really didn't know just how much danger I was getting into until it was too late to walk away. I haven't been here before, and I was lost. I just wanted to help the goat. I never imagined he was being attacked by three people. As for what I did to put the tiger to sleep, no it was not hypnotism. When I say magic, I mean real, actual, magic.'''" She says with a pause, letting that set in, while she considers telling him everything.

"'''I can explain, but you must promise not to bring harm to my home. I don't think that you would, but it is a very... special place...'''" She also wonders if the lions would come back in the middle of her story, and if she should even talk about her secret grove to a whole group, it was riskier, but if Louis vouches for them, she would accept that.

"'''No, mmh.'''" Louis sighs and holds up a hand. "'''I won't deny you if you want to insist, but, really, I don't need an explanation.'''" While his best friend understands some mystical concepts better than he, the deer isn't exactly a total stranger to such things.

That gesturing hand is instead moved to his face where fingertips rub over the bridge of his snout. "'''I'm mostly just happy things turned out as well as they did. The last thing we need is anybody winding up killed.'''" And by that he means the last thing ''he'' needs. Louis' hand drops from his face and he wanders over to a chair in the room, off to the side, to sit upon rather heavily for such a small frame. He's really tired. His eyes trace a path over the floor back and forth as he ponders quite a lot.

"'''As a visitor to the city, it's unfortunate that you've had to endure this. If... If you feel you need emotional therapy in the wake of such an attack I can pull some strings. It's not the kind of event that our government will allow to go untreated...''if''...we tell anybody.'''"

Lillia nods as Louis says he doesn't need to hear a full explanation. "'''Alright, then let's just say that I'm from a place where magic is much more common, and the manner of my birth has given me special powers, to make others sleep, banish their nightmares, and help them dream.'''" She explains and isn't really sure what he means by therapy, but she instead asks. "'''Do things like this happen often?'''"

That's a question that leads to what might be an awkwardly lasting silence. It's not that the stag didn't hear it. His body language clearly shows that he's thinking over how best to phrase an answer. "'''Once is too often.'''" His fingers fidget a little, but only just a little, before he straightens his posture. Louis looks over directly at Lillia and speaks. When he speaks, he speaks clearly.

"'''Truthfully, no. There are programs in place to help those that might be suffering from such symptoms before they're drawn to acting in that way. If a group of animals decide to act in a way as they have tonight, they've either managed to slip by without notice or it was premeditated. That type of violence, well, it happens no matter where you go.'''"

Louis not once mentions the notion of motive in this. It's a very grim subject even without it. "'''I wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be neighbors.'''"

Lillia nods again, this time accompanied by a frown at the notion that the people who do things like what happened tonight are themselves suffering. She certainly liked the view of the world better when she only watched it through the dreams of others as they blossomed on the branches of the dreaming tree. "'''I see. I appreciate the honesty, even if I'm not sure I like the answer. It is good that many of them get help before they resort to acts like this...'''"

It is really the notion that this sort of violence happens anywhere you go that pains her the most, makes her want to run back to her garden and hide there forever, but she can't do that, the dreaming tree is sick and dying, and if not saved, the rest of the grove will likely follow, or at least become too corrupted for her to want to go there anymore.

"'''The three responsible for tonight's attack are going to get help, too, no doubt. They made their choices and they may not like the consequences, but they'll have no choice but to live with them. Junji, on the other hand, may have to have therapy to cope with his victimization. It's sad, but considering the circumstances it's still a victory.'''"

The deer pauses a moment, looking down at his shirt, before rubbing at one of the creases again. "'''I'm keeping this story out of the news, or at least I'm trying. Junji will recover better without the city knowing his face and name linked to such a tragedy.'''" That also includes keeping foreign visitors with unique physiologies out of the news, too, but Louis doesn't spell it all out. "'''Every animal involved gets medical treatment, counseling as needed, and nobody was killed, so in the grand scheme of things-'''"

The stag is interrupted in noticing the lion standing in the doorway. For being such large lions, they sure can be frighteningly stealthy. This is the lion with the bandanna on his face. "'''Sabu, everybody back?'''" A glance past the older lion to see if others are around confirms little.

"'''Just me, boss. She okay?'''"

Louis lifts a hand to motion in Lillia's direction. "'''Ask her yourself.'''"

The lion, arms crossed, looks over to the fawn to make eye contact where possible. There are scars over his left eye. These lions are all marked up. That's atypical, even for the local area.

No one died, and all will get the help they need from here on out. Lillia would have to agree that does feel like as good a victory as could be expected considering what happened tonight, and the grim alternative. "'''Let me know when Junji is able to have visitors, assuming he wants to see me, I won't intrude if he doesn't.'''" She requests before turning to the door, following Louis' gaze to the lion, and nodding as he looks back at her after Louis asks him to ask her if she's ok.

"'''I'm fine.'''" She answers even though he didn't explicitly ask. "'''This actually isn't the first time I had a brush with danger that could have ended much worse. It was in Senta, and I was the one who got shot at. Thankfully they almost missed, and it left a wound about as deep as the tiger's claws.'''" She frowns and shakes her head. "'''I'm still learning about the world and how dangerous it can be. It is a lot different than I expected...'''"

"'''I think that type of learning experience is pretty standard in growing up, although some animals are far more sheltered and coddled than others. Losing innocence is never easy.'''" The deer only looks just barely old enough to be an adult himself, so why is he talking as if this kind of material is old news?

"'''Want me to let Jinma and Free in?'''" Sabu seems to ask this of Louis, but Louis defers to Lillia's feelings on the matter. They were off to get snacks and the deer is the only that wanted a moment to talk alone, but most of what he wanted to say has been said.

The antlered-one close his eyes briefly with a shake of his head. "'''I won't be able to keep up with Junji's general progress. I- I have classes tomorrow. I'll barely get enough sleep for them now as it is. You'll have to ask the information desk yourself sometime tomorrow.'''"

"'''Sheltered.'''" Lillia responds briefly, then nods at the question of letting Jinma and Free in, and mentally reminds herself to check up on Junji. "'''You see, up until recently I lived deep in the forest. My only exposure to the world outside was through the window of the dreams of others as they blossomed upon a special tree. I have now woken up into reality, and while some of it is amazing and I'm quite happy to have experienced them, other things, not so much. So I guess you're right, I am much like a child losing their innocence...'''"

"'''From the woods? I see. The city must be very confusing for you. That must make it doubly dangerous.'''"

As Louis speaks, Sabu turns away and walks back to the door leading from the family waiting area to the hall and opens the door before poking his head out. Moments later, Jinma and Free wander back in with two armfuls of vending machine snacks. "'''We have stories of spirits of nature with special abilities. Most animals don't really believe them, but if anybody sees you using these, mm, abilities of yours it might provoke that kind of imagery. Not necessarily a bad thing, but animals tend to be afraid of things they don't understand.'''" As the minutes slowly pass, the stag's face seems to reflect more and more exhaustion despite his efforts to ignore it.

"'''Hey, look what we've got. Goodies!'''" chimes Free as he walks right in and finds a spot on a nearby counter to just dump what he has. "'''We got cakes and sandwiches and a salad or two and dried seaweed chips and vegetable puffs.'''" As he speaks, an unlit cigarette bobs from the corner of his mouth.

Jinma isn't too far behind and he adds his haul to the first. "'''You eat something, too, boss. You're looking a bit rough.'''"

Louis averts his gaze in annoyance.

Lillia nods. "'''It is confusing, and intimidating at times... Many were staring and whispering, and I felt uncomfortable, so that's why I ended up moving away from the city center and getting lost, ultimately running into Junji in his time of need. I'm rather unique even where I come from, but magical creatures are a lot more common there so I'm not so unusual, even out in the village in Distant Oceans.'''"

She then turns to look at everything Jinma and Free set out on the counter and grins a bit at the big salad and the comment that Louis should eat too. Were they supposed to share it? "'''Thank you very much, that looks like quite the feast.'''"

"'''For what that all costs, we could have ordered delivery instead, but I suppose we are trying to keep a low profile. Carrot chips?'''" Jinma picks up a small bag and gives it a toss through the air where it meets the deer's hand with a crumple of plastic. "'''Make sure to sort the plastic and paper by bin for recycling.'''" A tug opens the resealable bag containing very lightly pickled carrot slices. Even the lions grab a couple items before mostly filtering from the observation room back to the waiting area. Free reaches up to slap the upper door frame a couple of times in some sort of rhythmic beat on the way.

Louis slumps his shoulders. "'''I don't really have time to travel between work and university. As much as I would enjoy taking in the culture, I have my hands full with local problems. ...and that's not counting dark alleyway rumbles.'''" The stag sighs yet again. "'''What a mess. I hope you don't let this admittedly serious event completely color your opinion of us.'''"

"'''I can relate to having 'local problems' though I guess mine is singular, a little more predictable, and slow-progressing, looming as it is... For me, traveling and experiencing the cultures outside my home area has been mostly fun, and I have found some help for my problem as well, which is the reason I left home in the first place. I hope things work out for the both of us relatively soon.'''" Lillia says as she grabs a bag of carrot chips as well, struggling a bit to open it but having watched Louis she manages alright. She eats a few slices and smiles. "'''Not bad.'''"

"'''It must be pretty bad to have to look to outside sources for assistance,'''" is said regarding Lillia's concerns. "'''And while I'm morbidly curious I'm simply too tired to keep up. I need to head home here very soon. I've classes to attend, as I've said, after which I'll have a few hours of business meetings and, well, everything that happened tonight isn't going to go overlooked. I imagine there's going to be a lot of fallout and none of us are looking forward to it...'''"

Louis pulls a carrot slice free but is distracted in looking toward the lions. 'Us'. "'''Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have time and energy left over tomorrow to have dinner with my wife.'''" He's beginning to understand why his father always seemed to have so little time to spend with him. "'''Perhaps we'll meet again soon, if you're in town for a while.'''" It's hard to escape Louis' face thanks to the media.

"'''For now, I suggest you make sure you're well-healed before you go fighting more street crime. Ha.'''"

Lillia gives a grim nod as Louis hits the nail on the head there. "'''It's... pretty dire. Maybe I can tell you about it if we meet again, I hope we do, and that you will be able to get a nice dinner with your wife, that's important. As for me, I'll try my best to stay out of trouble. At least I have plenty to eat till I leave in the morning now. Thank you, for everything.'''"

Louis chews on the carrot as he listens, then nods and begins to stand up. Fingers working to reseal the zipper-top of the snack bag, he pauses only briefly to lean over and push his pant leg back down over the metal frame of his lower right leg, after of which he walks over to where Lillia rests and holds out his right hand. He's offering a handshake.

"'''You're very welcome. I think we deserve a better introduction now that we're mostly past that terrible ordeal. I'm Louis the Red Deer, C.E.O. of Horns Conglomerate. Unfortunate to meet under these circumstances, but I'm glad that we did. Things may have turned out different otherwise. I don't believe in fate or destiny, but it's always nice to see things turn out for the better. I formally ask that we keep the events of this night between us. As far as the police have reported, a goat in high school was attacked and a call alerted the authorities. They arrived in time and only one assailant had to be shot. Everybody is alive and stable.'''"

Louis lowers his gaze yet keeps potential eye contact. "'''I'm not asking you to lie about our involvement. I'm asking that we keep out of public notice so we don't have to.'''"

Lillia nods and takes Louis' hand, still a relatively new gesture to her but not wholly unfamiliar. "'''I'm Lillia Amaryllis. I'm glad we met too. Hopefully, I can overcome my shyness and meet others under more favorable circumstances in the future.'''" She says in an uplifting tone, then more serious, maintaining eye contact with Louis, she adds. "'''I will do my best to keep what happened tonight quiet, you have my word.'''"

|}}

File:Agata-icon.gif

2021-11-19T23:51:16Z

Louis:

Agata

2021-11-19T23:50:36Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Profile| Title=Agata |Image=Agata_and_Haru.jpg |Name=Agata the Congo Lion |Series=Beastars (Manga) |Occupation=Horns Conglomerate Security |Alignment=Neutral |Gender=Male |S..."

{{Profile|
Title=Agata
|Image=Agata_and_Haru.jpg
|Name=Agata the Congo Lion
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=Horns Conglomerate Security
|Alignment=Neutral
|Gender=Male
|Species=Congo Lion
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
[[File:Agata Header.jpg|frameless|center]]
----
Agata is a Congo Lion with rich, dark brown fur that covers the front of the muzzle down to the very length of his tail. The tip of said tail and proud mane he sports are a shade darker in hue and kept well-groomed at all times. He also has expressive eyes that match the color of his fur, dilating to whichever emotion comes up, which signify details in body language almost as well as his tail and round ears. Underneath those eyes are tan dots that neatly contrast his fur, looking like freckles. He stands at a full height of 6’9 (206cm) and weighs around 130lbs (59kg). While his appearance tells that of a slender frame, as well as youth, it belies the strength and rage underneath that all carnivores naturally possess. Yet even so, he wears a bright smile with a charismatic nature that tells anyone he is friendly.

Usually he’s seen wearing business formal attire consisting of a button-down shirt, a waistcoat, a suit coat, a tie, and well pressed dress pants. The nice pair of shoes and black socks to complete this look add to the charm.
----
|Background=
----

Agata was raised in a household where his mother, Miyuki, ruled with an iron fist and acted out like a tyrant. His father, Kanato, never asserted any amount of dominance, only bending the knee to cater to his wife's needs or wants. Growing up he had little to nothing when it comes to finances, landing him in a state of poverty. He had no prior education and his parents never pushed for him to have it so he was ignorant of the world around him. There were times where he did go outside and try to play with other kids, but one look at him told just enough for him to get picked on. At the age of 18, he got tired of it all and ran away to eventually come into the Back Alley Market and thus, the Shishigumi. The bond he forged with the group of lions was quick as each of them shared similar hardships that other animals in polite society wouldn't truly understand. In the wake of the abolishment of the Back Alley Market, the Shishigumi becomes disbanded and Agata, along with the other lions, gets arrested and serves time in prison until landing on special probation for the CEO of Horns Conglomerate.
|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Agata Header.jpg

2021-11-19T23:50:02Z

Louis: Louis uploaded a new version of File:Agata Header.jpg

File:Agata Header.jpg

2021-11-19T23:47:03Z

Louis:

File:Agata and Haru.jpg

2021-11-19T23:15:52Z

Louis:

Louis

2021-11-15T11:15:38Z

Louis:

{{Profile|
Title=Louis
|Image=Louis_Sitting.png
|Name=Louis the Red Deer
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=CEO of Horns Conglomerate
|Alignment=Coexistent Good
|Gender=Male
|Species=Red Deer
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
At what appears to a full height of 160cm (5'3") and with a weight of around 53kg (116 lbs) is a red deer. This stag sees to be on the scrawny side, yet his body is toned from regular exercise and physical activity. His form is covered in a pelt of a tawny beige coloration presenting a slightly lighter variation of appearance than other harts of his kind. His rack tends to grow in a symmetrical eight points, four per antler, providing some added sense of height to his otherwise diminutive body (for his species).

Large expressive eyes, light brown in hue, lead the way in body language. Youthful and without apparent physical marring about the face, this stag often wears business formal or business casual for most occasions. A crisp button-down shirt, a form fitting waistcoat, a defining suit coat, a tasteful tie, and well-pressed pants paint the image of an epic businessman, yet the deer wears a varied array of loose-fitting clothing when not working. While a nice pair of shoes are necessary for any outfit for plantigrade feet and legs, his right ankle shines with metal where his left is covered in the fabric of a sock.

From just below the knee down, his right leg is entirely prosthetic. Top of the line, it offers functionality and mobility over pretense of normality.
----
=== Abilities, Talents, and Skills ===
----
'''The Perfect Lead Actor:''' Charisma, leadership, willpower, and adaptability all in one.

Louis has the kind of presence that is immediately felt when he enters a room. When he speaks, people listen. There's something about his voice that is soothing, enchanting, and even commanding. His body language snaps to whichever role is currently being played without the slightest hint of wavering, be it club leader, grim reaper, company boss, or even husband. He can commit to an image even in the face of great pain or stress. Precious few know the deer underneath the masks. There is an exact psychology to how this works and works so well and Louis has mastered it naturally. It's the same mental trickery that stage and street magicians use. People tend to have very little reason to believe otherwise or even ''want'' to believe otherwise.

'''Self-Defender:''' Hand-to-hand and firearms training.

Louis has been trained in hand-to-hand self-defense by the late Ibuki of the Shishigumi. The style used complements such a small frame and works especially well against larger foes and is designed to quickly use an opponent's mass and center of gravity to keep them grounded and vulnerable. Louis has an extensive pistol collection and is licensed to Hidden Carry in many places (as are his bodyguards). Refined by the Shishigumi, his ability with a gun is solidly above average. More importantly, Herbivores have amazing dodge skills. Where Louis lacks offensive capability, he makes up for it in his instinctual avoidance of harm.

His bodyguards have much greater physical aptitude, better hand-to-hand ability, and far deadlier firearms use. It's what they do.

'''Worldly Inspiration:''' A greater influence by association and presence.

Louis has a conviction and confidence that is absolutely infectious. Those that stand with him against opposition or obstacles will perform at increased levels over normal and demoralization efforts are nearly completely negated. Fighting harder, perceiving better, moving faster, lasting stronger. This does not grant people the ability or knowledge to do things they would not already know, but it gives a notable boost to what is known.

This does not boost Louis' bodyguards' ability as they already function at this level of performance by default. In dire situations, they can even go above and beyond in their duty and loyalty to Louis to reach even higher and completely fanatical levels than what Louis' peers would receive.
[[File:Louis Adler Chimera.png|frame|right|Bill faced Louis' Chimera based upon Adler the Grim Reaper!]]
This inspirational power can be seen as a buff that can be used on a single target, so long as Louis entrusts a specific task upon that individual, even when he is not present. It lasts until the end of the scene where the objective is achieved or until such a time that Louis grows tired of waiting. Those that lose the buff due to time taken may additionally feel a sense of imagined long-range disappointment. Only one such inspired task can exist at a time.

'''Artistry and Etiquette:''' Good manners and great style.

Louis is skilled in most forms of social etiquette and is quick to learn customs of new people or places in order to present himself very formally. From how to dress to standing posture to knowing how to properly set a table, high class etiquette has been drilled into him from a young age. In addition to this, Louis is skilled in many forms of art aside from Drama. He excels in Dancing and Singing, but is also proficient at Fencing. While this might be considered more a sport than a performing art, this does mean he knows how to handle a foil and can, in turn, present the appearance of a knowledgeable swordsman.

'''CEO of Horns Conglomerate:''' Leader of his nation's largest and wealthiest company.

Successor to the role of CEO previously held by his late adoptive father, Oguma, Louis, with the help of his business-marriage wife, Azuki, sees to the day to day affairs of the company, delegates duties to various subsidiary presidents, all while helping to make financial decisions regarding new investments. While a heavy responsibility, this grants him immense personal wealth, national influence, and allows some weight when it comes to investing resources into businesses and services outside of his nation. With a name and face spread across national media, many animals treat him with celebrity status.

'''The Art of Imaginary Chimera:''' Psychological Manifestation of Fear and Intimidation

This is a mental process of pulling from the thoughts and memories that grant the user the most inner strength and using details from those thoughts to change the user's sense of self-image. Usually, only a specific target sees this projection, but there are exceptions. Varying in size and shape depending on the individual, the large image projected (now substituting the user as perceived) seems to move and speak exactly as the user does, though usually with a voice reflecting the monstrous creation. It is not a physical construct. This is a psychological attempt to demoralize, threaten, intimidate, and instill primal fear into the target.

----
=== Important Relationships ===
----
'''Employees:''' Horns Conglomerate base employees, managers, and business specialists representative of the Conglomerate and subsidiaries.

These are the people that help the Conglomerate create trans-national economic growth. They are almost completely non-combative, but they provide access to specialists for nearly any non-combat skill set or talent. They work for salaried wages and, in general, will never willingly place themselves in deadly danger. They can provide services and expertise for assignments and missions but will almost always require protection.

'''Azuki:''' Louis' wife, a red deer with keen business sense and nearly-unrivaled management skills.

Partner of an arranged marriage by Oguma and daughter of the CEO of a partner large company, Azuki helps to govern the company by Louis' side and often takes up tasks while Louis is away on business or at university. She possesses great business skills and has a mind set purely on what is best for the company. While she helps with basic tasks, she also serves as a public face and is considered to be a very attractive doe. Her presence alone at business deals or public events is enough to spell success, but coupled with the overpowering charisma of her husband, Louis, there has been naught but positive growth for the company and those they help financially. Non-combative, she knows effective self-defense and is usually protected by Louis' private lion bodyguards.

'''Bodyguards:''' Former Shishigumi members, at least one of these eight lions is nearly always at Louis' side.

These lions are former members of the Shishigumi. Reformed and very combat-capable, these lions almost always have a presence near Louis, but also serve to protect Azuki and other company assets. Specialists each in their own right, they often have other duties and are rarely always on shift at the same time, yet they make a formidable force against any that would threaten the safety of their beloved boss through hand-to-hand combat and firearms use combined with above-human natural strength, toughness, and mobility.
----
=== Flaws, Complications, and Hooks ===
----
'''Strict Herbivore:''' Only eats plants and plant-based foods.

Unable to digest meat. Consuming animal proteins can cause him to become ill. This can present issues where only omnivorous menus are available.

'''Physical Limitation:''' Small, weak, and crippled.

Louis grew up malnourished and with heavily stunted growth. Herbivores of his origin are naturally much weaker than most Carnivores and notoriously become completely blind in pitch dark. Additionally, Louis lost part of his right leg to help his best friend, Legosi. Though free of the branding on his right foot, he now walks using a prosthetic leg from just below the knee down. While he can move around just as well as he could before, losing that prosthesis would severely hinder his movements and mobility. Furthermore, he has immense phantom leg pains whenever Legosi is hurt that can disrupt whatever he's currently doing.

'''Prime Target:''' High profile, good and bad attention.

Former Beastar candidate, former gang leader, now CEO of Horns Conglomerate and an active social leader in the fight for integration and peace, Louis is a possible target for many types. Ill-doers might find him a better-alive-than-dead victim for ransom while others would have him eliminated altogether if possible. On the flip side, his presence may give do-gooders a desire to keep him safe in the face of danger, too.

----
|Background=
----
Shi (Number Four) was born of unknown parents as part of the Black Market's livestock breeding and sales where he spent the first five years of his life. Not knowing how to read or write or even speak, his only companions and friends were a lop-eared rabbit, Kyuu (Number 9), and an alpaca, San (Number Three). They spoke their own language and became aware from a very young age that they were meant to die as food. Shi was rescued from this fate by Oguma, the CEO and Owner of Horns Conglomerate, by purchasing the young deer and then formally adopting him. This was in secret, though; Oguma's infertility was hidden from public knowledge and the young deer was introduced as his biological heir. Very very few knew otherwise.

Named Louis by his eccentric and enigmatic father, he spent most of his upbringing learning only the best and given every opportunity to grow, but there was always his father's shadow and great expectation heaped upon him. His father and the CEO of a partner company arranged for their children to be married when they become old enough to better secure the future of both businesses. Louis had little difficulty getting accepted into Cherryton Academy where his natural charisma and celebrity status quickly made him the most popular guy in school. Head Student of the Drama Department, focused only on his own gain and image, he and the other students were forced to deal with the murder of fellow drama student Tem, an alpaca, at the hands of a mysterious carnivore that ate him. Hurt by the memories of what happened to San, his grief was private but his showing of respect to the fallen was loyal.

The later kidnapping of his then current love interest, Haru, by a mysterious group only known as the Shishigumi left him desperate, but the Mayor of Denko, also a lion, refused to let the story hit the press by responding to the crime with force. Threatening Louis with the blackmail of exposing his history, the deer had no choice but to let it go and told fellow underclassman Legosi to leave it be. Legosi, however, managed to track down the Shishigumi and assault their base to rescue Haru. Louis secretly followed along. Legosi decided to leave Chief Lion, the Shishigumi boss, alive in his escape which nearly cost him his life. Louis stepped in, though, and murdered the boss with his pistol only to be cornered by the remaining Shishigumi. He knew it would happen, though, and was ready for this act of suicide on his terms. He hated everything about himself anyway.

Louis lived. Leading member Ibuki decided to make Louis the active boss for the gang. It worked far too well. The Shishigumi flourished, but on Louis' terms. Ibuki became a close father figure and Louis discovered that Ibuki himself was originally meant to be sold as parts on the Black Market. This lasted until he was approached by Legosi twice, once to let him know he knew who killed Tem and again, in disguise, to rally Louis' aid in the upcoming duel. Realizing the importance of his growing friendship with Legosi, Louis decided that he had to join Legosi for his duel and leave the Shishigumi. This resulted in Ibuki driving him there, followed quietly by a gang motorcycle, before giving Louis a gun with the chance to shoot and kill him; otherwise, Ibuki threatened to eat Louis alive for leaving the gang. Unable to kill his best friend, Ibuki feigned an attack and was immediately shot dead by fellow loyal gang member Free. In so doing, Ibuki sacrificed himself so that Louis could leave the gang and live on.

Louis met with Legosi mid-duel only to discover that the wolf was faring poorly against the superior-in-strength bear, Riz, and offered Legosi the chance to eat him, to use that power to change and become something better. Louis lost half of his right leg but no more to Legosi and the duel continued until such a point that Riz surrendered and the cops took him into custody. Louis was given a prosthetic leg by his father and some time was spent in therapy learning to walk fully again while also graduating from Cherryton Academy and enrolling in Galdona University. During this time, the Shishigumi gained a new leader: a leopard and gazelle hybrid, Melon. Wanting to help the Shishigumi but not knowing how, Louis was at a loss until bad news struck: his father had been in a car accident and was now on his deathbed.

Fully realizing how much he loved his father and how much Oguma loved him, they were able to make peace before Oguma's passing. With his acceptance as the new CEO only days away, he meets up with Legosi to help him prepare for a massive four-gang turf war in the Black Market that Legosi is using to capture Melon. Now understanding just how much Legosi truly means to him, too, Louis inspires Legosi's efforts with a pact to fight the good fight together and gives much of his blood to mix with the wolf's in what is needed for his mixed-blood torch: a beacon of Carnivores and Herbivores joined together.

Late for the live broadcast of his inaugural ceremony and speech due to being hospitalized for anemia after giving blood for 'philanthropy', Louis hijacks the subject of the gathering to address the Black Market and the unspoken nature of Carnivores needing meat, using knowledge gained from the Shishigumi to call out specific cases to prove a point, which throws the people of Denko into a riot and Louis is carried away to be locked up in a room while he screams that the press needs to focus on the Black Market -now- because his friend is going to die. His behavior is blamed on the grief from his father's death. The Shishigumi witness the broadcast and leave their boss, Melon, behind to fight Legosi and break into the building, overpower security, and free Louis to take him back to the Black Market so that he can join Legosi in the conflict. However, all but Free give up to the police in their chase in order to allow Louis to make it. Free turns himself in afterward. Louis shows up to support his best friend, the rioting public unite to storm the Black Market, and Melon is eventually caught and carried off to jail.

Louis helps to push for the demolishing of the Black Market to make new homes and funded places to support the education, care, and social integration of hybrid animals. He and Azuki, now bound in a political loveless marriage, oversee the future of Horns Conglomerate. He also makes an expensive effort to release the former Shishigumi members and they, under legal probation, are hired on as personal bodyguards so that they can serve their remaining sentencing time through their service to Louis while he takes the forefront in pushing for peace and equality and total integration wherever it is needed.
----
=== Mood Music ===
----
<center>
"I will not be a statistic though they numbered me at birth. 
I believe in coexistence. I believe in what I'm worth! 
I will fight it, tooth and nail, claws and fangs and horn and tail, 
I will fight to push the balance; we ain't even on the scale. 
I'm tired of being scared and I don't know just how this ends 
But I know that there's some good out there... 

...what I need right now's a friend."
</center>

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy1gwE1jg3w Louis and Legosi's Feelings + Reprise] -- Once Two, Now Whole; Best Friends and Beastars'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFU4FON_63k Beastars Season 2 OST - 'Between the Soil & Skyline'] -- Shadows of the Shishigumi'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvTAXShmQEE 'Protect My Name' ft. McGwire, Shwabadi, Shirobeats (Beastars) - Connor Quest!] -- Pure Emotion, Heartfelt Frustration and Hope'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlXXMB71Po BEAST★RS - “Animals” 1-Week PMV Multi-Animator Project] -- Must be seen to be believed.'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mTzLGUiPQQ Beastars Original Soundtrack - Fighting Animals - Extended] -- Time for Bloody Knuckles and Gunpowder Burns'''
----
=== Thoughts and Daydreams ===
----
<big>
So many dreams. Dreams big and small. Horror and hope. So much longing. Always reaching for something that isn't exactly there, be it a gun or an outstretched hand or... Or love. 
My dreams... 
Unpredictable, yes, but at the very least, no matter how things get twisted or blurred or lost to the background -- at the very least -- the dreams are my own. The only thing I can claim to be mine, solely and completely, with no contest or argument. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for my dreams. 
In one dream, I was a bird -- I wasn't a bird, but I was flying like one, but I felt like I wanted to be a bird. Just for that moment. Free, no worries, arms spread wide and soaring the skies to wherever I wanted to go. 
In another dream, I was trapped. Back again, back there. ''There''. Barred, unable to leave, and I could scream and cry for help, but no words came out. Only noises. Noises that weren't words. Those great fanged faces walking by, laughing, dragging children behind them off to be slaughtered. To... To be eaten. Helpless. 
Yet in another dream I was a pop star, made for the stage, built upon my experience as an actor, singing for the masses. It felt good, but bittersweet. The people listening didn't care about me, about my merit, about my ability. They wanted repeat perfection; they ''thought'' they wanted me, but they wanted the same thing as before. A few hits and...that was it. No more room for new works. No more room for appreciation or growth. 
I'm glad for these dreams and I'm glad that they ''are'' dreams. Sure, nobody wants to be powerless in watching people about to die and maybe, well, maybe being a stage performer is great. Sometimes. But to not be able to go anywhere, to get away? What good would it do me if I have to soar forever alone? So I'll dream these dreams and I'll be thankful to dream these dreams, because I'm dreaming while I'm next to you. No matter how terrible things get, no matter which horrific dreams come true, no matter what happens... You'll always be here with me. 
I... I hope you dream of me, too. 
Ibuki...
</big>
[[File:Louis and Ibuki.jpg|frameless|center]]

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Louis and Ibuki.jpg

2021-11-15T10:43:26Z

Louis:

Louis

2021-11-15T10:18:18Z

Louis:

{{Profile|
Title=Louis
|Image=Louis_Sitting.png
|Name=Louis the Red Deer
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=CEO of Horns Conglomerate
|Alignment=Coexistent Good
|Gender=Male
|Species=Red Deer
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
At what appears to a full height of 160cm (5'3") and with a weight of around 53kg (116 lbs) is a red deer. This stag sees to be on the scrawny side, yet his body is toned from regular exercise and physical activity. His form is covered in a pelt of a tawny beige coloration presenting a slightly lighter variation of appearance than other harts of his kind. His rack tends to grow in a symmetrical eight points, four per antler, providing some added sense of height to his otherwise diminutive body (for his species).

Large expressive eyes, light brown in hue, lead the way in body language. Youthful and without apparent physical marring about the face, this stag often wears business formal or business casual for most occasions. A crisp button-down shirt, a form fitting waistcoat, a defining suit coat, a tasteful tie, and well-pressed pants paint the image of an epic businessman, yet the deer wears a varied array of loose-fitting clothing when not working. While a nice pair of shoes are necessary for any outfit for plantigrade feet and legs, his right ankle shines with metal where his left is covered in the fabric of a sock.

From just below the knee down, his right leg is entirely prosthetic. Top of the line, it offers functionality and mobility over pretense of normality.
----
=== Abilities, Talents, and Skills ===
----
'''The Perfect Lead Actor:''' Charisma, leadership, willpower, and adaptability all in one.

Louis has the kind of presence that is immediately felt when he enters a room. When he speaks, people listen. There's something about his voice that is soothing, enchanting, and even commanding. His body language snaps to whichever role is currently being played without the slightest hint of wavering, be it club leader, grim reaper, company boss, or even husband. He can commit to an image even in the face of great pain or stress. Precious few know the deer underneath the masks. There is an exact psychology to how this works and works so well and Louis has mastered it naturally. It's the same mental trickery that stage and street magicians use. People tend to have very little reason to believe otherwise or even ''want'' to believe otherwise.

'''Self-Defender:''' Hand-to-hand and firearms training.

Louis has been trained in hand-to-hand self-defense by the late Ibuki of the Shishigumi. The style used complements such a small frame and works especially well against larger foes and is designed to quickly use an opponent's mass and center of gravity to keep them grounded and vulnerable. Louis has an extensive pistol collection and is licensed to Hidden Carry in many places (as are his bodyguards). Refined by the Shishigumi, his ability with a gun is solidly above average. More importantly, Herbivores have amazing dodge skills. Where Louis lacks offensive capability, he makes up for it in his instinctual avoidance of harm.

His bodyguards have much greater physical aptitude, better hand-to-hand ability, and far deadlier firearms use. It's what they do.

'''Worldly Inspiration:''' A greater influence by association and presence.

Louis has a conviction and confidence that is absolutely infectious. Those that stand with him against opposition or obstacles will perform at increased levels over normal and demoralization efforts are nearly completely negated. Fighting harder, perceiving better, moving faster, lasting stronger. This does not grant people the ability or knowledge to do things they would not already know, but it gives a notable boost to what is known.

This does not boost Louis' bodyguards' ability as they already function at this level of performance by default. In dire situations, they can even go above and beyond in their duty and loyalty to Louis to reach even higher and completely fanatical levels than what Louis' peers would receive.
[[File:Louis Adler Chimera.png|frame|right|Bill faces Louis' Chimera based upon Adler the Grim Reaper!]]
This inspirational power can be seen as a buff that can be used on a single target, so long as Louis entrusts a specific task upon that individual, even when he is not present. It lasts until the end of the scene where the objective is achieved or until such a time that Louis grows tired of waiting. Those that lose the buff due to time taken may additionally feel a sense of imagined long-range disappointment. Only one such inspired task can exist at a time.

'''Artistry and Etiquette:''' Good manners and great style.

Louis is skilled in most forms of social etiquette and is quick to learn customs of new people or places in order to present himself very formally. From how to dress to standing posture to knowing how to properly set a table, high class etiquette has been drilled into him from a young age. In addition to this, Louis is skilled in many forms of art aside from Drama. He excels in Dancing and Singing, but is also proficient at Fencing. While this might be considered more a sport than a performing art, this does mean he knows how to handle a foil and can, in turn, present the appearance of a knowledgeable swordsman.

'''CEO of Horns Conglomerate:''' Leader of his nation's largest and wealthiest company.

Successor to the role of CEO previously held by his late adoptive father, Oguma, Louis, with the help of his business-marriage wife, Azuki, sees to the day to day affairs of the company, delegates duties to various subsidiary presidents, all while helping to make financial decisions regarding new investments. While a heavy responsibility, this grants him immense personal wealth, national influence, and allows some weight when it comes to investing resources into businesses and services outside of his nation. With a name and face spread across national media, many animals treat him with celebrity status.

'''The Art of Imaginary Chimera:''' Psychological Manifestation of Fear and Intimidation

This is a mental process of pulling from the thoughts and memories that grant the user the most inner strength and using details from those thoughts to change the user's sense of self-image. Usually, only a specific target sees this projection, but there are exceptions. Varying in size and shape depending on the individual, the large image projected (now substituting the user as perceived) seems to move and speak exactly as the user does, though usually with a voice reflecting the monstrous creation. It is not a physical construct. This is a psychological attempt to demoralize, threaten, intimidate, and instill primal fear into the target.

----
=== Important Relationships ===
----
'''Employees:''' Horns Conglomerate base employees, managers, and business specialists representative of the Conglomerate and subsidiaries.

These are the people that help the Conglomerate create trans-national economic growth. They are almost completely non-combative, but they provide access to specialists for nearly any non-combat skill set or talent. They work for salaried wages and, in general, will never willingly place themselves in deadly danger. They can provide services and expertise for assignments and missions but will almost always require protection.

'''Azuki:''' Louis' wife, a red deer with keen business sense and nearly-unrivaled management skills.

Partner of an arranged marriage by Oguma and daughter of the CEO of a partner large company, Azuki helps to govern the company by Louis' side and often takes up tasks while Louis is away on business or at university. She possesses great business skills and has a mind set purely on what is best for the company. While she helps with basic tasks, she also serves as a public face and is considered to be a very attractive doe. Her presence alone at business deals or public events is enough to spell success, but coupled with the overpowering charisma of her husband, Louis, there has been naught but positive growth for the company and those they help financially. Non-combative, she knows effective self-defense and is usually protected by Louis' private lion bodyguards.

'''Bodyguards:''' Former Shishigumi members, at least one of these eight lions is nearly always at Louis' side.

These lions are former members of the Shishigumi. Reformed and very combat-capable, these lions almost always have a presence near Louis, but also serve to protect Azuki and other company assets. Specialists each in their own right, they often have other duties and are rarely always on shift at the same time, yet they make a formidable force against any that would threaten the safety of their beloved boss through hand-to-hand combat and firearms use combined with above-human natural strength, toughness, and mobility.
----
=== Flaws, Complications, and Hooks ===
----
'''Strict Herbivore:''' Only eats plants and plant-based foods.

Unable to digest meat. Consuming animal proteins can cause him to become ill. This can present issues where only omnivorous menus are available.

'''Physical Limitation:''' Small, weak, and crippled.

Louis grew up malnourished and with heavily stunted growth. Herbivores of his origin are naturally much weaker than most Carnivores and notoriously become completely blind in pitch dark. Additionally, Louis lost part of his right leg to help his best friend, Legosi. Though free of the branding on his right foot, he now walks using a prosthetic leg from just below the knee down. While he can move around just as well as he could before, losing that prosthesis would severely hinder his movements and mobility. Furthermore, he has immense phantom leg pains whenever Legosi is hurt that can disrupt whatever he's currently doing.

'''Prime Target:''' High profile, good and bad attention.

Former Beastar candidate, former gang leader, now CEO of Horns Conglomerate and an active social leader in the fight for integration and peace, Louis is a possible target for many types. Ill-doers might find him a better-alive-than-dead victim for ransom while others would have him eliminated altogether if possible. On the flip side, his presence may give do-gooders a desire to keep him safe in the face of danger, too.
----
=== Mood Music ===
----
<center>
"I will not be a statistic though they numbered me at birth. 
I believe in coexistence. I believe in what I'm worth! 
I will fight it, tooth and nail, claws and fangs and horn and tail, 
I will fight to push the balance; we ain't even on the scale. 
I'm tired of being scared and I don't know just how this ends 
But I know that there's some good out there... 

...what I need right now's a friend."
</center>

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy1gwE1jg3w Louis and Legosi's Feelings + Reprise] -- Once Two, Now Whole; Best Friends and Beastars'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFU4FON_63k Beastars Season 2 OST - 'Between the Soil & Skyline'] -- Shadows of the Shishigumi'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvTAXShmQEE 'Protect My Name' ft. McGwire, Shwabadi, Shirobeats (Beastars) - Connor Quest!] -- Pure Emotion, Heartfelt Frustration and Hope'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlXXMB71Po BEAST★RS - “Animals” 1-Week PMV Multi-Animator Project] -- Must be seen to be believed.'''

'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mTzLGUiPQQ Beastars Original Soundtrack - Fighting Animals - Extended] -- Time for Bloody Knuckles and Gunpowder Burns'''
----
|Background=
----
Shi (Number Four) was born of unknown parents as part of the Black Market's livestock breeding and sales where he spent the first five years of his life. Not knowing how to read or write or even speak, his only companions and friends were a lop-eared rabbit, Kyuu (Number 9), and an alpaca, San (Number Three). They spoke their own language and became aware from a very young age that they were meant to die as food. Shi was rescued from this fate by Oguma, the CEO and Owner of Horns Conglomerate, by purchasing the young deer and then formally adopting him. This was in secret, though; Oguma's infertility was hidden from public knowledge and the young deer was introduced as his biological heir. Very very few knew otherwise.

Named Louis by his eccentric and enigmatic father, he spent most of his upbringing learning only the best and given every opportunity to grow, but there was always his father's shadow and great expectation heaped upon him. His father and the CEO of a partner company arranged for their children to be married when they become old enough to better secure the future of both businesses. Louis had little difficulty getting accepted into Cherryton Academy where his natural charisma and celebrity status quickly made him the most popular guy in school. Head Student of the Drama Department, focused only on his own gain and image, he and the other students were forced to deal with the murder of fellow drama student Tem, an alpaca, at the hands of a mysterious carnivore that ate him. Hurt by the memories of what happened to San, his grief was private but his showing of respect to the fallen was loyal.

The later kidnapping of his then current love interest, Haru, by a mysterious group only known as the Shishigumi left him desperate, but the Mayor of Denko, also a lion, refused to let the story hit the press by responding to the crime with force. Threatening Louis with the blackmail of exposing his history, the deer had no choice but to let it go and told fellow underclassman Legosi to leave it be. Legosi, however, managed to track down the Shishigumi and assault their base to rescue Haru. Louis secretly followed along. Legosi decided to leave Chief Lion, the Shishigumi boss, alive in his escape which nearly cost him his life. Louis stepped in, though, and murdered the boss with his pistol only to be cornered by the remaining Shishigumi. He knew it would happen, though, and was ready for this act of suicide on his terms. He hated everything about himself anyway.

Louis lived. Leading member Ibuki decided to make Louis the active boss for the gang. It worked far too well. The Shishigumi flourished, but on Louis' terms. Ibuki became a close father figure and Louis discovered that Ibuki himself was originally meant to be sold as parts on the Black Market. This lasted until he was approached by Legosi twice, once to let him know he knew who killed Tem and again, in disguise, to rally Louis' aid in the upcoming duel. Realizing the importance of his growing friendship with Legosi, Louis decided that he had to join Legosi for his duel and leave the Shishigumi. This resulted in Ibuki driving him there and giving him a gun with the chance to shoot and kill; otherwise, Ibuki was going to eat Louis alive for leaving the gang. Unable to do so, Ibuki began to attack but was shot dead by fellow loyal gang member Free.

Louis met with Legosi mid-duel only to discover that the wolf was faring poorly against the superior-in-strength bear, Riz, and offered Legosi the chance to eat him, to use that power to change and become something better. Louis lost half of his right leg but no more to Legosi and the duel continued until such a point that Riz surrendered and the cops took him into custody. Louis was given a prosthetic leg by his father and some time was spent in therapy learning to walk fully again while also graduating from Cherryton Academy and enrolling in Galdona University. During this time, the Shishigumi gained a new leader: a leopard and gazelle hybrid, Melon. Wanting to help the Shishigumi but not knowing how, Louis was at a loss until bad news struck: his father had been in a car accident and was now on his deathbed.

Fully realizing how much he loved his father and how much Oguma loved him, they were able to make peace before Oguma's passing. With his acceptance as the new CEO only days away, he meets up with Legosi to help him prepare for a massive four-gang turf war in the Black Market that Legosi is using to capture Melon. Now understanding just how much Legosi truly means to him, too, Louis inspires Legosi's efforts with a pact to fight the good fight together and gives much of his blood to mix with the wolf's in what is needed for his mixed-blood torch: a beacon of Carnivores and Herbivores joined together.

Late for the live broadcast of his inaugural ceremony and speech due to being hospitalized for anemia after giving blood for 'philanthropy', Louis hijacks the subject of the gathering to address the Black Market and the unspoken nature of Carnivores needing meat, using knowledge gained from the Shishigumi to call out specific cases to prove a point, which throws the people of Denko into a riot and Louis is carried away to be locked up in a room while he screams that the press needs to focus on the Black Market -now- because his friend is going to die. His behavior is blamed on the grief from his father's death. The Shishigumi witness the broadcast and leave their boss, Melon, behind to fight Legosi and break into the building, overpower security, and free Louis to take him back to the Black Market so that he can join Legosi in the conflict. However, all but Free give up to the police in their chase in order to allow Louis to make it. Free turns himself in afterward. Louis shows up to support his best friend, the rioting public unite to storm the Black Market, and Melon is eventually caught and carried off to jail.

Louis helps to push for the demolishing of the Black Market to make new homes and funded places to support the education, care, and social integration of hybrid animals. He and Azuki, now bound in a political loveless marriage, oversee the future of Horns Conglomerate. He also makes an expensive effort to release the former Shishigumi members and they, under legal probation, are hired on as personal bodyguards so that they can serve their remaining sentencing time through their service to Louis while he takes the forefront in pushing for peace and equality and total integration wherever it is needed.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

File:Louis Adler Chimera.png

2021-11-15T09:15:04Z

Louis:

Louis

2021-11-15T09:01:59Z

Louis:

{{Profile|
Title=Louis
|Image=Louis_Sitting.png
|Name=Louis the Red Deer
|Series=Beastars (Manga)
|Occupation=CEO of Horns Conglomerate
|Alignment=Coexistent Good
|Gender=Male
|Species=Red Deer
|Hangout=Denko
|Continent=Senta
|Desc=
----
At what appears to a full height of 160cm (5'3") and with a weight of around 53kg (116 lbs) is a red deer. This stag sees to be on the scrawny side, yet his body is toned from regular exercise and physical activity. His form is covered in a pelt of a tawny beige coloration presenting a slightly lighter variation of appearance than other harts of his kind. His rack tends to grow in a symmetrical eight points, four per antler, providing some added sense of height to his otherwise diminutive body (for his species).

Large expressive eyes, light brown in hue, lead the way in body language. Youthful and without apparent physical marring about the face, this stag often wears business formal or business casual for most occasions. A crisp button-down shirt, a form fitting waistcoat, a defining suit coat, a tasteful tie, and well-pressed pants paint the image of an epic businessman, yet the deer wears a varied array of loose-fitting clothing when not working. While a nice pair of shoes are necessary for any outfit for plantigrade feet and legs, his right ankle shines with metal where his left is covered in the fabric of a sock.

From just below the knee down, his right leg is entirely prosthetic. Top of the line, it offers functionality and mobility over pretense of normality.
----
=== Abilities, Talents, and Skills ===
----
'''The Perfect Lead Actor:''' Charisma, leadership, willpower, and adaptability all in one.

Louis has the kind of presence that is immediately felt when he enters a room. When he speaks, people listen. There's something about his voice that is soothing, enchanting, and even commanding. His body language snaps to whichever role is currently being played without the slightest hint of wavering, be it club leader, grim reaper, company boss, or even husband. He can commit to an image even in the face of great pain or stress. Precious few know the deer underneath the masks. There is an exact psychology to how this works and works so well and Louis has mastered it naturally. It's the same mental trickery that stage and street magicians use. People tend to have very little reason to believe otherwise or even ''want'' to believe otherwise.

'''Self-Defender:''' Hand-to-hand and firearms training.

Louis has been trained in hand-to-hand self-defense by the late Ibuki of the Shishigumi. The style used complements such a small frame and works especially well against larger foes and is designed to quickly use an opponent's mass and center of gravity to keep them grounded and vulnerable. Louis has an extensive pistol collection and is licensed to Hidden Carry in many places (as are his bodyguards). Refined by the Shishigumi, his ability with a gun is solidly above average. More importantly, Herbivores have amazing dodge skills. Where Louis lacks offensive capability, he makes up for it in his instinctual avoidance of harm.

His bodyguards have much greater physical aptitude, better hand-to-hand ability, and far deadlier firearms use. It's what they do.

'''Worldly Inspiration:''' A greater influence by association and presence.

Louis has a conviction and confidence that is absolutely infectious. Those that stand with him against opposition or obstacles will perform at increased levels over normal and demoralization efforts are nearly completely negated. Fighting harder, perceiving better, moving faster, lasting stronger. This does not grant people the ability or knowledge to do things they would not already know, but it gives a notable boost to what is known.

This does not boost Louis' bodyguards' ability as they already function at this level of performance by default. In dire situations, they can even go above and beyond in their duty and loyalty to Louis to reach even higher and completely fanatical levels than what Louis' peers would receive.

This inspirational power can be seen as a buff that can be used on a single target, so long as Louis entrusts a specific task upon that individual, even when he is not present. It lasts until the end of the scene where the objective is achieved or until such a time that Louis grows tired of waiting. Those that lose the buff due to time taken may additionally feel a sense of imagined long-range disappointment. Only one such inspired task can exist at a time.

'''Artistry and Etiquette:''' Good manners and great style.

Louis is skilled in most forms of social etiquette and is quick to learn customs of new people or places in order to present himself very formally. From how to dress to standing posture to knowing how to properly set a table, high class etiquette has been drilled into him from a young age. In addition to this, Louis is skilled in many forms of art aside from Drama. He excels in Dancing and Singing, but is also proficient at Fencing. While this might be considered more a sport than a performing art, this does mean he knows how to handle a foil and can, in turn, present the appearance of a knowledgeable swordsman.

'''CEO of Horns Conglomerate:''' Leader of his nation's largest and wealthiest company.

Successor to the role of CEO previously held by his late adoptive father, Oguma, Louis, with the help of his business-marriage wife, Azuki, sees to the day to day affairs of the company, delegates duties to various subsidiary presidents, all while helping to make financial decisions regarding new investments. While a heavy responsibility, this grants him immense personal wealth, national influence, and allows some weight when it comes to investing resources into businesses and services outside of his nation. With a name and face spread across national media, many animals treat him with celebrity status.

'''The Art of Imaginary Chimera:''' Psychological Manifestation of Fear and Intimidation

This is a mental process of pulling from the thoughts and memories that grant the user the most inner strength and using details from those thoughts to change the user's sense of self-image. Usually, only a specific target sees this projection, but there are exceptions. Varying in size and shape depending on the individual, the large image projected (now substituting the user as perceived) seems to move and speak exactly as the user does, though usually with a voice reflecting the monstrous creation. It is not a physical construct. This is a psychological attempt to demoralize, threaten, intimidate, and instill primal fear into the target.
----
=== Important Relationships ===
----
'''Employees:''' Horns Conglomerate base employees, managers, and business specialists representative of the Conglomerate and subsidiaries.

These are the people that help the Conglomerate create trans-national economic growth. They are almost completely non-combative, but they provide access to specialists for nearly any non-combat skill set or talent. They work for salaried wages and, in general, will never willingly place themselves in deadly danger. They can provide services and expertise for assignments and missions but will almost always require protection.

'''Azuki:''' Louis' wife, a red deer with keen business sense and nearly-unrivaled management skills.

Partner of an arranged marriage by Oguma and daughter of the CEO of a partner large company, Azuki helps to govern the company by Louis' side and often takes up tasks while Louis is away on business or at university. She possesses great business skills and has a mind set purely on what is best for the company. While she helps with basic tasks, she also serves as a public face and is considered to be a very attractive doe. Her presence alone at business deals or public events is enough to spell success, but coupled with the overpowering charisma of her husband, Louis, there has been naught but positive growth for the company and those they help financially. Non-combative, she knows effective self-defense and is usually protected by Louis' private lion bodyguards.

'''Bodyguards:''' Former Shishigumi members, at least one of these eight lions is nearly always at Louis' side.

These lions are former members of the Shishigumi. Reformed and very combat-capable, these lions almost always have a presence near Louis, but also serve to protect Azuki and other company assets. Specialists each in their own right, they often have other duties and are rarely always on shift at the same time, yet they make a formidable force against any that would threaten the safety of their beloved boss through hand-to-hand combat and firearms use combined with above-human natural strength, toughness, and mobility.
----
=== Flaws, Complications, and Hooks ===
----
'''Strict Herbivore:''' Only eats plants and plant-based foods.

Unable to digest meat. Consuming animal proteins can cause him to become ill. This can present issues where only omnivorous menus are available.

'''Physical Limitation:''' Small, weak, and crippled.

Louis grew up malnourished and with heavily stunted growth. Herbivores of his origin are naturally much weaker than most Carnivores and notoriously become completely blind in pitch dark. Additionally, Louis lost part of his right leg to help his best friend, Legosi. Though free of the branding on his right foot, he now walks using a prosthetic leg from just below the knee down. While he can move around just as well as he could before, losing that prosthesis would severely hinder his movements and mobility. Furthermore, he has immense phantom leg pains whenever Legosi is hurt that can disrupt whatever he's currently doing.

'''Prime Target:''' High profile, good and bad attention.

Former Beastar candidate, former gang leader, now CEO of Horns Conglomerate and an active social leader in the fight for integration and peace, Louis is a possible target for many types. Ill-doers might find him a better-alive-than-dead victim for ransom while others would have him eliminated altogether if possible. On the flip side, his presence may give do-gooders a desire to keep him safe in the face of danger, too.
----
|Background=
----
Shi (Number Four) was born of unknown parents as part of the Black Market's livestock breeding and sales where he spent the first five years of his life. Not knowing how to read or write or even speak, his only companions and friends were a lop-eared rabbit, Kyuu (Number 9), and an alpaca, San (Number Three). They spoke their own language and became aware from a very young age that they were meant to die as food. Shi was rescued from this fate by Oguma, the CEO and Owner of Horns Conglomerate, by purchasing the young deer and then formally adopting him. This was in secret, though; Oguma's infertility was hidden from public knowledge and the young deer was introduced as his biological heir. Very very few knew otherwise.

Named Louis by his eccentric and enigmatic father, he spent most of his upbringing learning only the best and given every opportunity to grow, but there was always his father's shadow and great expectation heaped upon him. His father and the CEO of a partner company arranged for their children to be married when they become old enough to better secure the future of both businesses. Louis had little difficulty getting accepted into Cherryton Academy where his natural charisma and celebrity status quickly made him the most popular guy in school. Head Student of the Drama Department, focused only on his own gain and image, he and the other students were forced to deal with the murder of fellow drama student Tem, an alpaca, at the hands of a mysterious carnivore that ate him. Hurt by the memories of what happened to San, his grief was private but his showing of respect to the fallen was loyal.

The later kidnapping of his then current love interest, Haru, by a mysterious group only known as the Shishigumi left him desperate, but the Mayor of Denko, also a lion, refused to let the story hit the press by responding to the crime with force. Threatening Louis with the blackmail of exposing his history, the deer had no choice but to let it go and told fellow underclassman Legosi to leave it be. Legosi, however, managed to track down the Shishigumi and assault their base to rescue Haru. Louis secretly followed along. Legosi decided to leave Chief Lion, the Shishigumi boss, alive in his escape which nearly cost him his life. Louis stepped in, though, and murdered the boss with his pistol only to be cornered by the remaining Shishigumi. He knew it would happen, though, and was ready for this act of suicide on his terms. He hated everything about himself anyway.

Louis lived. Leading member Ibuki decided to make Louis the active boss for the gang. It worked far too well. The Shishigumi flourished, but on Louis' terms. Ibuki became a close father figure and Louis discovered that Ibuki himself was originally meant to be sold as parts on the Black Market. This lasted until he was approached by Legosi twice, once to let him know he knew who killed Tem and again, in disguise, to rally Louis' aid in the upcoming duel. Realizing the importance of his growing friendship with Legosi, Louis decided that he had to join Legosi for his duel and leave the Shishigumi. This resulted in Ibuki driving him there and giving him a gun with the chance to shoot and kill; otherwise, Ibuki was going to eat Louis alive for leaving the gang. Unable to do so, Ibuki began to attack but was shot dead by fellow loyal gang member Free.

Louis met with Legosi mid-duel only to discover that the wolf was faring poorly against the superior-in-strength bear, Riz, and offered Legosi the chance to eat him, to use that power to change and become something better. Louis lost half of his right leg but no more to Legosi and the duel continued until such a point that Riz surrendered and the cops took him into custody. Louis was given a prosthetic leg by his father and some time was spent in therapy learning to walk fully again while also graduating from Cherryton Academy and enrolling in Galdona University. During this time, the Shishigumi gained a new leader: a leopard and gazelle hybrid, Melon. Wanting to help the Shishigumi but not knowing how, Louis was at a loss until bad news struck: his father had been in a car accident and was now on his deathbed.

Fully realizing how much he loved his father and how much Oguma loved him, they were able to make peace before Oguma's passing. With his acceptance as the new CEO only days away, he meets up with Legosi to help him prepare for a massive four-gang turf war in the Black Market that Legosi is using to capture Melon. Now understanding just how much Legosi truly means to him, too, Louis inspires Legosi's efforts with a pact to fight the good fight together and gives much of his blood to mix with the wolf's in what is needed for his mixed-blood torch: a beacon of Carnivores and Herbivores joined together.

Late for the live broadcast of his inaugural ceremony and speech due to being hospitalized for anemia after giving blood for 'philanthropy', Louis hijacks the subject of the gathering to address the Black Market and the unspoken nature of Carnivores needing meat, using knowledge gained from the Shishigumi to call out specific cases to prove a point, which throws the people of Denko into a riot and Louis is carried away to be locked up in a room while he screams that the press needs to focus on the Black Market -now- because his friend is going to die. His behavior is blamed on the grief from his father's death. The Shishigumi witness the broadcast and leave their boss, Melon, behind to fight Legosi and break into the building, overpower security, and free Louis to take him back to the Black Market so that he can join Legosi in the conflict. However, all but Free give up to the police in their chase in order to allow Louis to make it. Free turns himself in afterward. Louis shows up to support his best friend, the rioting public unite to storm the Black Market, and Melon is eventually caught and carried off to jail.

Louis helps to push for the demolishing of the Black Market to make new homes and funded places to support the education, care, and social integration of hybrid animals. He and Azuki, now bound in a political loveless marriage, oversee the future of Horns Conglomerate. He also makes an expensive effort to release the former Shishigumi members and they, under legal probation, are hired on as personal bodyguards so that they can serve their remaining sentencing time through their service to Louis while he takes the forefront in pushing for peace and equality and total integration wherever it is needed.

|}}[[Category:Characters]]

2021-11-14 - Stunning Tricks and Quiet Whispers

2021-11-15T08:33:54Z

Louis: Created page with "{{Logsummary| Title=Stunning Tricks and Quiet Whispers |Summary=Land Animals at an evening beach gathering are surprised to see a Sea Animal seemingly wash up onto the sands...."

{{Logsummary|
Title=Stunning Tricks and Quiet Whispers
|Summary=Land Animals at an evening beach gathering are surprised to see a Sea Animal seemingly wash up onto the sands.
|Who=[[Louis]], [[Nina_Flip]]
|Date=November 11th, 2021
|Where=Beast Island, Denko, a stretch of beach East of port.
|Log=

It's evening in the City of Denko. The glow from the city casts a halo into the coastal humidity that grows brighter as it gets darker. The detail of the sky is less visible from it, but the waxing gibbous moon is still very visible in the sky. No time of day is too late for the cargo ships to come in or go out, although the growing hour brings a number of animals down to the beach. So late in the year, few even dare to swim, but the cool humid evening does present a pleasant time to relax while the waves slosh over the sand.

Somebody has started a bonfire on the beach even though there is still light plenty in the sky. Sunset is still a half hour away from beginning, but the youths gathered near it laugh and play or relax and watch the fire or others playing. Unlike most port or coastal cities, though, there are no gulls in air or crabs scuttling about the beach. The only animals seen are the animal people present.

Walking along a sandy path not far away from the bonfire gathering, a young stag wearing a sweater and scarf strolls casually about, shoes taken off and held dangling in one hand, to feel the sand on his feet. Or at least on one foot.

In her wanderings around Senta Nina had started to hear talk about a nearby city on an island, a city full of animal-like people. That was more than enough to pique her interest, as although she'd never admit to anyone that she missed her father, she was feeling a bit homesick, and so if there was any chance that this new place was her home, she had to find out for herself. Not seeming to mind the cool late fall water, Nina happily swims from Giga Beach to Beast Island since at least for her it'd be much faster than walking.

As she neared the beach of the island, she was already starting to feel like there was something different about the city she saw on the horizon, but since it was dark, she wasn't sure if it was her imagination, or just that she was coming from a direction she's not used to seeing her home from. However, when she's gotten to the point where she's just offshore and comes leaping out of the water, spy-hopping as it were to get a good look, her heart sank a little. It looks somewhat similar in that Anima City and this place were both built in a Japanese style, but they were as much the same place as Yokohama and Nagasaki.

Her disappointment was short-lived though, as it was quickly replaced by excitement as she saw the people on the beach, and that this was still a cool new place to visit, certainly much more interesting than a boring trip back home. She swims the rest of the way to shore and slides out onto the beach, still in her dolphin-like form for the moment.

No more than a few seconds pass before the dolphin finds herself with attention from the locals. A heron points a feathery finger in her direction, heads turn, and a tiger crouched beside the bonfire stands up. A few animals began to hurry in her direction, although some have concerned looks on their faces.

'''"It's a sea animal,"''' remarks one sheep to another.

'''"Hey, is she okay?"''' asks another voice from those drawing closer. A canine of some sort, perhaps a coyote, leans to look around some figures at what has drawn so much attention. However, it's the tiger from the fire pit that winds up pushing through the gathering crowd to stand far taller than the rest. Placing his hands on his knees and leaning over, the feline regards Nina with a look of curiosity before speaking.

'''"''Oog hua ee op, ee gooh noa gao. Ee op hua dahou bom?''"''' A hush falls upon those staring as they wait to see what the reply is and what it could mean.

Nina had expected to be noticed, at least eventually, but intentionally beaching herself to get up on land draws decidedly more attention than anticipated. '''"I'm fine, really."''' She responds to the question of if she's okay while moving to sort of stand up, proving to be quite capable of balancing herself on the thicker upper part of her tail, with her flukes resting in the sand. At least they seemed friendly and concerned for her well being so far.

When the tiger speaks a different language to her, she blinks, and gives him a blank stare, clearly not having the faintest idea what he just said. '''"Um... come again? That some sort of sea creature language here?"'''

There's a murmur from some of the animals gathered and the tiger's jaw hangs loosely open for a good few seconds. '''"Yeah, that's- That's exactly what it is. Not many sea creatures come onto land. You're not stuck or anything? I can carry you-"''' A voice cuts off the tiger.

'''"She did already say she was okay, but I think that went unheard in the excitement."''' Faces turn and bodies part as a young deer walks slowly over. As footfalls pass over where the sand has been compacted from the seawater it becomes noticeable that only one foot leaves toe prints. A soft cheery smile graces the stag's face and eyes settle onto Nina with a faint nod before turning to the tiger. '''"Tamamoru, right?"''' asks the deer with an open-palmed gesture with his right hand. His left still holds his shoes.

'''"Yeah, that's me. Have we met? I think I know you from somewhere."'''

'''"No, we haven't met, but my friend lives nearby and he's mentioned you. Tamamoru, lifeguard, really loves the beach and everybody on the beach loves Tamamoru."''' The tiger rubs behind his head with a bit of embarrassment. '''"How about we give her some space and not crowd so much? Breathing on land is a lot different than breathing in the sea for sea animals, so let her enjoy the fresh air."'''

Most of the crowd begins to disperse, breaking off into small cells of conversation, although the tiger remains behind along with the deer. '''"I'm Tamamoru,"''' introduces the tiger as if it hadn't yet been established.

'''"And my name is Louis. You speak very well, so I take it this isn't your first trip onto land. They don't mean to bother. They were simply worried you had gotten stuck."'''

'''"That's right,"''' agrees the striped cat. '''"It happens more often than you might think."''' Of note, the cat still stoops forward.

Nina almost giggles when asked if she's stuck, but she supposes that is a rather grim concern if the aquatic types here can't change as she can, and context seems to imply that is the case. Still, she decides not to go about changing into her human form just yet, seems these locals are surprised enough to meet one from the sea with her adding to the excitement by suddenly taking human form.

'''"I'm Nina Flip. Nice to meet you all. Also no need to worry about carrying me, My father may treat me like a princess but I'd rather not be carted around like one. I'm not stuck, I can still get about a bit like this, and I do have a... trick... if I need to move further or quicker."''' She explains as a bit of a tease, trying to gauge their reaction and decide by how they respond if she should reveal her other form or not, though she may have talked herself into a corner if they get insistent about what her 'trick' is.

The deer listens with casual relatability. There are people that treat him like a prince and would insist on the same special forms of treatment if he allowed it. There's something to be said for standing on your own two feet, even if you only have one left. Or none to start with. The evening sea breeze flutters Louis' scarf and a single ear. Tamamoru looks a little mortified. '''"I didn't mean anything bad by it."''' The tiger's hands lift from his knees to display his palms with a shake side to side. '''"I'm one of the few that knows sea speak really well that likes hanging out here."'''

Louis curls one side of his mouth higher than the other. '''"Nice to meet you, Nina. I'm going to go warm up by the fire for a moment. I'm sure Tamamoru and his friends wouldn't mind if you joined them. Please excuse me."''' The deer turns away. It's not even that cold out. It's that time of night where the sea breeze is picking up and the humidity is rather high, but the stag is already wearing a scarf and sweater. He must chill easily.

Tama-san stays behind, though. '''"Tricks? I've seen some of the sea animals do tricks for show while us animals are enjoying the sun. What kind of trick is it?"''' This tiger just loves the ocean and everything to do with the beach. He may not be in his lifeguard uniform now, but he never hangs up his interest when off duty. '''"Most sea animals move really oddly on land- N-not a bad thing! It's really fun to watch."'''

Nina nods as Louis echoes the sentiment about it being nice meeting, and then mentions the fire. When he walks away she turns her large aquamarine eyes back toward Tama and nods as she awkwardly tries to move in the direction of the fire. She actually did kind of forget how awkward it was to try and tail walk in the sand.

Her cheeks turn a little rosy as Tama seems to think she means a totally different kind of trick. '''"Um yeah, I do like doing those kinds of tricks sometimes too, but this is... much different. I can show you, but, try not to freak out, okay?"''' She asks and waits for Tama to confirm as she looks around at all the carnivores around and briefly imagines them being so frightened by her transformation that they tear her to shreds, but quickly tries to push that dark thought from her mind.

There is a moderately equal split between the Carnivores and Herbivores present, although the waning light does see some of the Herbivores leave with cheerful goodbyes and waves. Most of the ones that remain cluster a bit closer to the beach bonfire, though this more for the comfort of the light than it is for the comfort of warmth. The beach doesn't have as much lighting set up close by and the setting sun, combined with the typical evening clouds, makes for a quickly growing less-lit atmosphere at the beach.

One of the animals enjoying the crackling of the fire pulls out a small radio and tunes it to a local pop station. The volume is kept low, but the beat is hard to miss. Louis checks his phone for messages and appears to be typing something in reply. Now that the animals present know there's no emergency, life returns to normal. With a wrinkle of the deer's muzzle in annoyance at something, the phone gets tucked away and instead he works at removing and re-wrapping his scarf. The slightly oversized sweater and scarf are a bit bulky, but he finds them very cozy.

'''"Hey, I've seen about everything the beach has to show me,"''' replies Tamamoru as he walks along with Nina, although the difference in natural pacing is just a bit awkward for the big tiger. '''"If you can show me something I haven't seen before, I'll buy you some satsuma-age."''' Fried fish cakes are on offer. A new concept for these animals, but it's already widely accepted.

Looking ahead, Nina catches the annoyed look from Louis after checking and responding to something on his phone and wonders what it might have been about, though mostly hopes it isn't a reason he has to leave as she was hoping to get to know more about him than his name. When Tamamoru says he's seen just about everything the beach can show him and offers her a prize if she can show him something new, she grins a little.

'''"All right then, well here goes."''' She offers before taking a moment to focus her mind. In a sudden flash the 'beast-factor' in her DNA takes effect and her body swiftly changes form. Her tail splits in two with each side taking the form of a leg, her dorsal fin vanishes, and her face takes on a rather cute human appearance with the same eye and hair colors as before. Her skin however changes as well from light blue and white, to a lightly tanned peach tone.

She looks back at Tamamoru as she walks a little faster. '''"There, much better, especially not having to deal with the gritty dry sand on my tail."'''

Tama-san laughs softly and turns to look and see if anybody else is paying attention, but it would seem that he's the only one at present not currently occupied. He looks back just in time to see something happen that he has most certainly never seen before. His broad smile remains frozen for a moment in silence before his eyes widen. '''"Wha- What?"''' The tiger takes a single half-step backward and simply stares. He has no idea what it is he's just witnessed.

That's partially untrue. Shape-shifting tricksters are part of traditional lore, along with ghosts and demons, but most of the young folk don't really believe in that kind of stuff. '''"''What?''"''' repeats Tamamoru, a bit louder and in a way that makes him sound like a confused tiger twenty years younger than he actually is, which finally turns some heads, Louis' included.

Hand still holding one dangling end of his scarf, his eyes pass over Tama's new friend, then narrow, then search along the nearby edge of the beach. Murmurs begin again, but what they say are inconclusive at present. Anybody that has caught on to the differences (and similarities) are more confused than scared, though at least one sheep of the pair from the earlier gathering decides now is the best time to go home for the night. The other sheep, disappointed, calls out after and hurries along to catch up. Tama-san looks completely brain-broken.

Louis speaks up, '''"Nina?"''' as if to confirm what has to be the obvious while an ear swivels to listen to some of the things being whispered. Nina is clearly a Land Animal now and not a Sea Animal. How does that work? Stooping over to pick up his shoes once more, the deer steps around a weasel and a hedgehog to begin walking toward her, right hand held out. '''"Nina Flip, please, just come with me."'''

Nina pretty much expected the surprise/confusion from Tama-san, at least initially, but had hoped it would only be momentary. When the reality of the situation sets in as many of the other animals around start whispering, she frowns and curses herself for being so naive to think this wasn't going to cause a scene. As Louis approaches and tells her to come with him, she nods after offering Tama-san an apologetic look. '''"Sorry..."''' she says before turning back to Louis and taking his hand, ready to follow wherever he was planning to take her.

The deer is very quiet, at least at first, and simply aims to lead westward down the beach before turning to head toward a more well lit sidewalk for foot traffic to and from that section of the sandy coast. Further down the way the sidewalk seems to connect with one that runs along the coastal road, but Louis seems content to simply get away from the crowd and the harder to walk on sand. A bench is nearby, partially illuminated by a lamp, and that seems to be where the stag is headed.

'''"That was quite a feat,"''' the deer finally says with safe distance and a place to sit. He does just that. '''"Speaking of feet..."''' adds Louis with verbal wordplay and reference to Nina's land adaptations in a way that jabs at the notion of being clever for the sake of breaking the ice more than trying to be witty. '''"I need a moment to brush off mine and put my shoes on."''' He puts the shoes down on the bench beside himself, lamplight sparkling off his brown eyes, and pulls out a handkerchief to use in the task in cleaning off his left foot of which he crosses over his right knee.

He doesn't ask questions. He only offers a soft smile.

Nina nods, and at the mention of shoes she pulls a waterproof bag out of a light blue mesh sack she had with her, containing a pair of simple black flats. She watches as Louis cleans off his feet with a handkerchief and thinks how that's a great idea, she'd just been brushing her feet off with her hands. '''"I... kinda had a feeling it wasn't something normal for you here, with the questions about if I was stuck. Oh what a cruel fate that would be to be stuck like that with no one around to notice you're in trouble... But I had stupidly hoped that between it being dark now and less folk around, my little reveal would go over with a bit less pointing and nervous whispering..."'''

'''"You shouldn't take it personal. It's not like they know any better. I've heard nothing but nice things about that lifeguard."'''

Left foot mostly cleaned off, handkerchief set aside, Louis digs into his sweater pocket for a folded and rolled bundle of fabric that, when undone, reveals a black sock. Carefully digging his thumbs into it with a little scrunching, the deer works on rolling it up over his left foot before tugging his pant leg back down. His left shoe is picked up and put on. '''"And it's not like you knew better, either. Something about your accent. Reminded me of a goat I met from Pierisu, but that's in the mountains. Can't say I've met many Sea Animals from the mountains."'''

The red deer next lifts his right foot, yet instead of crossing it over his left leg he props it by the heel on the edge of the bench. Picking up the handkerchief, he begins the process anew to make sure none of the sand stays stuck between any of the metal parts. '''"This must be your first official visit, then. On behalf of the City of Denko and the great nation that built it and the incessantly buzzing streetlamps, I welcome you."'''

Nina_Flip nods as she gets the idea of using the mesh bag in a similar way to clean her feet, it was slightly more awkward than a handkerchief, but it seems to do the job as Nina soon has both her shoes on, sans socks. '''"He did seem really nice, and I'm sure the others are too, and the reaction to my change isn't terribly unlike how humans where I come from react seeing it for the first time, though I've only met a handful at a party once. I'm from Anima City, it's kinda like Denko, and everyone who lives there is like me, all sorts of different animal species just like here, but we stay in human form most of the time, except when angry. I'm one of the few that likes changing into my beast form, and do it all the time when I'm perfectly happy."'''

'''"Ha. How exciting for you. Can't say I know where Anima City is located. Mainland? You'll fit in either way around here, I imagine, although you won't see many apes with your unique characteristics about."''' Louis isn't going to tell Nina to not do whatever she did again in front of other animals. It's not his place. She can do whatever she wants. Still, even unspoken it still has a voice. '''"A bit late to explore the city unless you like the night life. You'll have to wait a bit longer for Deep Night."'''

A finger points upward at the moon as the darkness of night, even with the glow from the city, emphasizes the current phase. '''"Needs to be full for that. You're here alone?"''' Obviously she appears to be alone, but Louis won't for one moment assume she doesn't know friends or family in the area. She doesn't exactly come off as being lost. Merely disappointed.

As clean as he can manage to get his prosthetic foot, he slips it into his other shoe before giving his handkerchief a shake off to his side away from Nina.

Nina shakes her head. '''"It's on an island, though I'm not really sure where it is from here, or how I ended up here. It's been a little mysterious and all so far,"''' she explains, then follows the finger pointing and nods. '''"I wouldn't mind sticking around for a while, certainly beats swimming back to the mainland already. I am alone though, haven't seen anyone I recognize since I ended up in Senta. I'm a bit worried that my dad probably didn't take my disappearance well, and might have started World War 3 back home by now, though I guess if he did I'd know about it unless I'm a lot further from home than I think I am... Anyway when I heard rumors of this place, I thought it might have been home."'''

Rumors? Recent events have caused quite a stir over the past few months. It's probably no surprise that certain things have become international news. After folding and stuffing his handkerchief away, Louis is left sitting on the bench, leaning forward, forearms resting atop his knees, with one hand clasped within the other. The deer listens, but as he does so he also thinks, ponders, about what he should do. A foreign traveler, possibly some sort of genetic hybrid, alone in a city that is slowly recovering after...

He barely knows her and he can't put upon his best friend so suddenly so late at night. Sure, he wouldn't refuse, but that would just be awkward. Louis parts his hands and lifts them to rub his face. If he's too generous, his business life will become apparent and he really wants to avoid that half of his life at least...''some nights''... But does he really have a choice except to offer?

'''"Nina, I can recommend a decent nearby hotel for the night, just West of here: The Creeping Blossom. It's a tasteless name, but the service is great and the beds are clean. I can even call a ride for you."''' Louis removes his hands before speaking and turns his head to look over her way. What a terrible and pathetic introduction for a wanderer.

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Louis

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