Sorana

Mike looked at him in surprise. "That's strage. They usually don't allow outsiders in." He dismissed the thought, it wasn't one of his concerns. "Sure. Do you know Toys in the Attic?" It fit him that song. Fit him way too much.

Mike smiled as well. How was he. Such an innocent question, but to reply honestly. "I am as good as can be expected, I suppose." He went with something, that could be everything. He didn't want to lie. "You have to be really good, if you're invited to play here. Where do you work? Which department or squad I mean?"

Mike smiled at him. "Hi. I'm Mike." He looked around without a real clue where to set up. "Most likely somewhere on the stage would be best. Just choose a spot to the side, where you have some good acoustics? Or you ask Mr. Itiah."

@AonEne

"Maybe just another word for magic." She smiled, but didn't demonstrate anything, mostly because her Biotics were a lot of things but subtle wasn't a part of it. "I can control gravity, although not completely, and only for a specific timeframe and in a certain area. Either I negate it completely, or I can hurl things around, or rip them apart completely." that covered most of it. "I was exposed to E-Zero and my nervous system developed in a way to grant me access to my Biotics. The amp is only there to strengthen them, help me control them." Turning around she lifted her haid of her neck, showed them the scar there. "There is still research going on, to build better ones, but mine was a rather early model and it made some Biotics go crazy. So I suppose I can be lucky with the headaches."

"You saved my life." Jessy nodded in agreement to Failen's words. "I think he is right. When the need arises again, you will find a way to influence metal again." She smiled at Failen and leaned against a nearby tree. "That is interesting. I never had the need to wait for my Biotics to refill themselves. I can use them, until I am either to exhausted to think clearly, or have such a mean headache, that I don't want to use them anymore. although I hear that they changed to headache problem, for those with the newer implants."

I'm not quoting you're whole post @DrakeMarshmallow , as I post directly below it and feel like it would only expand my own unneccessarily. But feel quoted And since you added it to your post: I am by no means an expert in this kind of topic, I' mostly intrigued by the prospect and the challenge to come up with something simple that might work at the same time. Just to make sure, I understand this correctly: you aim for an "injury-pay" for those temporarily unable to work for their company when their injury was caused while working. I have to admit I see one large problem here, especially when we take into account that I doubt that there lots security mechanisms in place to protect the workers and prevent injuries. Basically this will lead to situations where two men/women are injured, one looses their arm, one only ends up with a nasty scar. We support the one with the wound, until they can work again, but not the one crippled for live? To explain and argue that to the workers - I am not sure if that's possible. Based on your two ways, what do you think of the following: (all time frames I mention are open for discussion, I simply put here, what felt logical for me) 1+2 are the small version // everything else is the larger monster Every worker has a right to receive "injury-pay" if he is injured while working. There is no right to receive money, if the injury is a consequence of your work. (Like a bad back after years of hard labour). The "Injury-pay" will be paid until the worker has recovered, for a maximum period of six weeks. A medic/ healer has to view the patient at least once to give an estimate how long the recovery should take. If an employee is unable to return to work after the six weeks there are two options: if there is a chance that the employee will return after an additional recovery time, the company has to keep their position or an aquivalent position open for another six weeks to give them a chance to work again. if there is no chance that the employee will be able to work again in their job, the company should try to see if they have another position, that might suit their them. If there isn't they are asked to organize the worker a chance to start at another company/ learn a new trade fitting their new condition. Every company has to pay a small tax per worker into a specialized fund. This money will be used to pay for the recovery of workers, who are so gravely injured that they need more than six weeks to recover, for a maximum period of another six weeks. During this additional time, they will receive 60% of their usual pay. The fund will be organized by the Returned (Create special position here?) Exemption 1: The worker is so severly injured that they won't be able to work in their previous job anymore In this case they will receive the full six weeks "injury-pay" and able to get another six weeks of additional pay at 60% of their usual wages, should their recovery take a total twelve weeks. Exemption 2: The company is a small company that can't afford to pay for one worker for six weeks without getting something in return In this case the family of the worker as the right to supply someone else to take over the job. The company has the right to reduce the pay of their original employee to 60%, should the replacement doesn't meet the same qualifications their employee has. If the family isn't able to supply the company with a replacement, then the worker has the right to receive 12 weeks of "injury-pay" paid by the funds, all at 60% of his usual pay. A small company is every company with less than ten employees. Things we might need to think about (or not ): If we create a fund, then theoretically we need to think of a way what to do with all the money. Take inflation into account and probably invest it. As Wyrmhero stated, that most likely the rp won't span years, I suggest we leave the details of that part away for now. I'm not entirely sure about the part with the medic. Today it's easily possible to go to a doctor, but I'm not sure if everybody can afford it, to even see one, only to get told how long they are supposed to take to recover. Also we have to decide who has to pay for the doctor (imo: the employee, as we don't work on a health insurance system). Still, if we really want them to see a doctor, to make sure they aren't getting the money for nothing, this might lead to bad feelings towards the system.

Wita had left the bus before Marcel, shook her head at the names. They all sounded strange. They needed something cool, something that made everybody remember them. With a sigh she let the topic slide and jumped in surprise, hid behind Lewis when the man suddenly shouted at Marcel. The man. She had no clue what is was supposed to mean and didn't really think about it either. She had never been in such a neighbourhood before she mused when she looked at the many houses. Most weren't exactly tal, gave home to a family, maybe two. Kneeling down next to a bush that had beautiful yellow leave she took a look at them, smiled when a little night-butterfly flew around them. She liked them, they weren't as colourful as day-butterflies, but instead more grey and brown. Still they were calm and quiet and flew through the night, always searching for the moon. When it flew away she stood up again, realized that the bus had driven away.

Lena smiled at her and nodded with her head towards Alask. "This is the friend I wanted to have the other two weapons." She explained and wondered what Alask might choose. She'd never seen him with a weapon before, doubted that he and Shez needed it. But then it had been too much fun to trade some poison, to be stopped by the mere fact that she had no use for weapons. "Would you be so kind and give him two of his choosing?"

"I wouldn't call you weak." Jessy interjected and smiled at Cheh. "Maybe you have room to improve, but what I've seen you do so far was pretty impressive." She sighed and then shook her head. "Translator, huh? Well, just make sure you only talk to me when it's neccessary. You give me a headache." Her fingers touched the scar in her neck, where her amp had been implanted years ago and suddenly she was glad that obviously it hadn't been affected. But it was't a technical device either. Still without her amp, she would be helpless, useless. And she disliked that feeling.

Althea listened to the words, the presentation, the first question. She commited the pictures of the dead team to memory, made sure to remember their faces. Infrequent reports. If there was a clue to be found, then it would be in there. Otherwise they were walking into the tunnels blindly, and from her experience acting without adequate information usually didn't lead to the desired result. "Is there a chance to take a look at these reports? Read them?" She asked loudly, interested to see how the director would react to her request. It would tell a lot about the company and her desire to earn their trust. Additionally she might be able to learn something more about them. The director assuring them, that they didn't mean harm - it meant nothing, nothing at all. Of course she did, she had to. Althea would have done the same if she tried to introduce a new company six months after the disaster with Plasma Core. The more interesting question was, what did ACE gain by the excavation? Why did they invest that much money? For now she leaned back, watched the crowd and more specifically the director. Everything else she would look after later.

Alask stepped into the room and Lena grinned. Fate had made him come here, just when she had gotten some weapons for him. She lifted a hand and waved at Hydreis to come over. Sometimes things sorted themselves easily. While she waited for the woman to come over she turned back to Lita, watched her fingers play with her coin. "I am sure there are other perks to nimble fingers than lock picking as well." She replied and looked into Lita's eyes, slowly lifted her glass and took another sip of wine. Deliberatedly she looked down at Lita's hand for a moment, felt her heart pick up when she remembered, imagined. Knew that Lita would hear. A wicked smiled spread on her lips when she looked back into her face. "Is there anything else you need some information about?" She asked slightly bored at the business part, although it was important. A part of the game they played. The first act after the curtain was opened, and the actors stepped on the stage. @Oduim's Chmapion

Sagitta continued to look up and smiled. "Ages ago, there was a Chieftain. He was powerful and so wise that all other chieftains refered to him for advice. Every year they met at his place and he would listen to their problems for days upon days, looking for solutions. More often than not he found a solution, a path they could walk." Straightening her voice changed, when she fell into the comfortable rhythm of a known story. "Back then, there was nothing but the clans and the castles, the little conflicts between them. No central rulership, nothing like a king. The clans were proud, only accepted one of their own to rule them, but this man's advice - advice was no rulership and so they could meet, could confer and discuss their problems together. They realized that more often than not they had the same. An illness of the stock - a clan had found a solution and the cure saved many others." "The chieftain liked to listen to them, saw the power behind this unitiy and he tried to lead them along, tried to ensure that this cooperation would last even when his bones had turned to dust and his name was forgotten. Then tragedy struck. His wife died of an unknown illness, and a few month later his only child as well. The chieftain was devastated. When his loved ones had died, so had a piece of his heart. He cried for days upon days, forgot about his lands, about his clan, cried and buried his sorrow in alcohol. His younger brother stepped in, tried to fill the hole his brother had left him, and for a while it worked. His own clan readily accepted him and the yearly meetings had become a regular institution. Only when a new crisis struck did he realize, that while he was able to represent his clan and discuss with the others, he missed the charisma and the repect to unify them. Barbarians started to invade the north. They came on horses, they were fast and quick and the peasants living there had no chance. The clans of the north tried to protect their own, but faced with an superiority, they faced destruction. So the chieftains met, tried to find a solution, but those in the south were reluctant to send their young ones to fight for those in the north. They feared to loose their own lands afterwards, if they were weakend by the losses." "The discussion kept them chained to the table without any result, while hard-working people died and one day, the younger brother opened the door and faced the man he had loved above all others. You have to get out. He told him. You have to lead them, as you have before. We can throw the enemy back, if we work together, but they are afraid and they never looked up to me, like they look up to you." "But his older brother only shook his head, heavily drunk almost unable to stand. He wouldn't go, he would stay here, here in his room. If he faced them, then he would remember, and he couldn't remember. The only thing he wanted was oblivion." "The gods still walked our lands back then and they saw his pain, his fear. Sensation, for he was one of hers, finally had mercy with the man and stepped into his room. It was night, the sky hung dark over the land, only the moon lighting it up. Stand up. She bade him, and he followed her words, for she was his goddess. You leave those alone, that look up to you, that need you. You accepted the responsibility when they handed it to you, you accepted their praise. Now you have to show them, that you're worthy. The man only shook his head, lifted a bottle. I don't know what to do. When I look into their faces, then I see nothing but her face. When I hear their voices, I hear her voice. I want to offer her peace, to allow her to rest, but I took her into my heart and I swore that she will stay there forever. I can't break my oath, or I am nothing more than a cremling. I can't let her go, for she is the one keeping me sane." Sensation placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. She reached out for one of his tears, and looked at him. This is a memory. And a memory can hurt you, or it can heal you. He looked into the tear and saw that she was right. There was a memory in there, of his wife laughing, holding their first child in her arms. He started to cry at the sight and Sensation smiled. Then she flung the tear towards the sky where it remained as a tiny bright spot next to the moon. She took his other tears, painted the faces of his wife and child into the sky, so that he could remember them, so that they would look upon him. The man straightened when the burden was gone, when he could smile at the memories, be grateful for their time together." "Sensation stepped back when she saw him smiling, took the bottle out of his hands. From now on, you will be the one to lead them. Oblivion shall be with you, your name forgotten, but know that I will always remember who you are. Ta'e'ilo shall be your name and the name of those that you lead. You will bide them to take care that their names and their story reach the ears of their gods. When each of them dies, their loved ones are to tell their tale and tell it loudly. Now that you can forget, you will forget about your heros, about your loved ones, same as you will forget about the things that hurt you. Oblivion comes at a price.." "And he saw that she was right, for his pain was lessening. He knew that they were still there, that they would always be with him. He looked up, and he saw that she sky had brightened, stars covered it. Millions and millions of stars. The memories of his nation, memories of the clans. He left the room, his steps sure and proud for the first time in years and he stepped in front of the chieftains." "The gods have given us a great power. He announced. They allow us to forget, to preserve our memories on the sky. So that we can go on and fight for them, fight for our children and grandchildren. We are Ta'e'ilo." @I think I am here. @Lunamor ============== @Archer

Temeria tapped her fingers on the table for a while, considered his words. His expectation was sound, and the thought the he so easily accepted her, without any proof, without any demonstration of her skills - it was relieving, because she knew, that she wouldn't be good enough, wouldn't pass a closer inspection. She'd never been good enough. When he offered power with his next sentence she leaned back, looked at him. Power through unsavory methods. Whatever that meant. With a sigh she reached out for the contract, looked at it and felt cold. Strange letters covered the pages, letters she hadn't seen before. Admit that she couldn't read this? That the only script she'd learned was the one used in Altheakar, plus a little bit of the one of Hallandren. Or simply sign it and hope that it was nothing more but a contract about a room. Face burning from embaressment she pushed the contract back to him. "Do you have a version in another skript? I can only read..." Temeria fell silent when she realized, that she'd forgotten the name. There had been a specific name, she was sure of it, "letters as they are used in Alethkar." she quickly covered her mistake. Hastily she thought of a question, any question to change the topic. He'd offered, so she should ask about the city, the money, maybe if there was some kind of religion or god people prayed to. Who ruled, magic. What magic she might meet. Choose, choose, she pushed herself, her hand clenched into her shirt beneath the table when she was faced with so many choices, so many possibilities, so many questions. Most likely there was no time to answer all of them, so she should focus on the most important ones. Her thoughts turned and turned and she looked down. Decision, now. There was no time for a day long consideration. She hated quick decisions. With a sigh Temeria opened her hand again, closed her eyes and opened them almost immediatly. Strong. Just imagine you are at a tea party and ask anything. Every bit of information is useful. "Are you some kind of Returned?" She asked and immediatly wished she could vanish in the ground. Of all questions this one, was the worst. He'd already signaled, that he prefered to talk about everything else but himself. No taking it back now, that would only make her seem more weak than she already had to appear.

The tower grew on the shoes, grew until it reached the sky and was able to greet the clouds. It was dark up here, and cold and so it looked at the stars. (or in other words: good night ^^)

Jessy looked at the others, listened to Cheh's explanation and then turned to John and Alyssa. "Who of you is it?" She asked loudly, mostly because she had no idea how to communicate wordlessly with them. And because she wasn't sure she liked it. @John Flamesinger

"You are not worthless." Shana told her, held on to her shoulders but looked into her eyes. "You are not worthless and you never will be. Never. I won't lie to you. It's awful, terrible. But it happened and now we have to find a way to go on, to find a solution. Or at least a way to use what you gained." She shook slightly, still unsure what to make of it. "If you throw it away, if you stop fighting, then Joy died for nothing."

Then a large wave heads towards the shore and the tower...

Althea followed her to the chairs, still occupied with her words. Why just hire everybody instead of create specific job descriptions. It was a good question, one that was another similarity to Plasma Core. They hadn't cared about who they would work with as well. She chose a seat that a wall in its back and was at the end of a row, so that she only had to watch three directions, a potential attacker might use. Hopefully this would be different. Just an expedition, nothing more. Nothing world changing. The city needed some calm, some peace. She wasn't sure it if would survive another invasion.

*adds some jellyfish and turns the lake into an ocean*

=============== Sagitta took the knife, fastened it to her belt. "Thank you." She smiled at Zura, saw how she started to wrap an arm around her shoulders, and then stopped. "It's alright." her voice was low, but sure of herself, "I will be back to my old self once the sun is up. All this talk about enemies, about killing and who is allowed to do what, and that at night, " she swallowed the nights had been worse. Maybe. Everything had been awful. "I need some time, but it's nothing I can't recover from." She'd always recovered from bad things so far. Memories faded over the time. "It's the same with a battle. Afterwards you always think, that you can't go back, no matter the cost. But then you still go." Despite her brave words she wondered if they were true. "Ta'e'ilo means oblivion." she was looking up again, into the sky. "Did you know that the stars are vital when it comes to forgetting? At least if you believe an old tale my mother told me." @I think I am here.

"I met her actually. Or at least somebody belonging to your guild using that name. We fought side by side for a short while during the Invasion." Or rather Aylitha and Max had fought while she had tried to something, anything useful. Well not everybody could be a skilled fighter, and she hoped, that she had at least helped a little bit. Her eyes moved over the few ACE staff members that were around, turning cold. "It's the same pattern. A new organization rises and invites everybody to an event. It feels like the moment when Plasma Core opened it's door and invited the whole city und the pretense to collect money." Which was her reason to be here. If ACE tried the same, she would kill them all long before they turned into a real threat. This time, she wouldn't stand by and watch. That was a lesson she'd learned.

Good morning Ark!

Shana continued to hold her. "We all make mistakes." She said quietly, unsure what else she could do. She looked at James over Cassie's shoulder, a silent plea for help. @Wyndlerunner