Recruitment (Open to any humans interested in The Order)

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

It had been quiet within The Order of Saint James lately. It bothered the man. He hadn't heard from anyone at all in ages. No word from Verne, Dom, Kenlie, Marisa, or any one else that he would have been likely to speak with. But he had to do something. His shifts at the High Noon were seeming to barely occupy his time these days, and without Aysel around him anymore, the man was beginning to grow bored.

That's why he decided to start searching out Paladins, Blood Thieves, and anyone else that might be interested in joining and helping The Order. But, where to start, he had no clue. Recruitment drives at the college always seemed less than totally successful. So, he decided to wander around and think about where might be the best place.

A few hours later and he was still drawing blanks. Any particular place that was popular with the humans in the area was, undoubtedly, popular with vampires as well. Most of whom wouldn't appreciate him working on this project. He finally decided to look up to figure out where he was, and he laughed.

"Westwall... nobody seems to hang out here anymore. At least, nobody I feel like talking to."

Then he thought about it and shook his head. He must have been losing his mind, talking to himself in public like he was having a conversation. The lack of a social life was killing him. It had to change, and fast.

[Drake Romanov (DELETED 4555)]

Every so often the crowds in the areas she normally stuck to would become too much for her to handle or the people would just tick her off too much. Sometimes she could put up with them for a good bit of time and then there were times where she woke up hating the world, wanting everyone to leave her alone. When those moods hit her where she didn't want anything to do with the general public she would resort to wandering around in areas that were not too heavily populated.

The past few days had been just one bad day after another as far as people were concerned. So, she disappeared to Westwall and well, decided she would get some form of revenge on people for being just generally annoying, which meant breaking in to places and taking whatever of value the woman could get her hands on.

A few houses and a couple of other places later, and she was bored all over again. There were a couple of cops that spotted her as she wandered around the streets but it didn't take much effort for her to be able to give them the slip. A few quick turns around some corners, ducking behind things here and there along the way. Next thing she knew, she was free from them and on her way to trying to find something to else to keep her occupied.

“That was a bit closer than what I had hoped for tonight.” The words came out sounding mumbled as she turned another corner. Drake stopped in her tracks in order to look around while mumbling something to herself under her breath. Somehow she had managed to go in a large circle, well, it was almost a circle. She wasn't too far from where she had started. “Way to go genius. You're not supposed to return to the scene of the crime.” The woman chastised herself for not paying attention to where she had been going.

There were a few cops searching the area. She knew she couldn't stay in the vicinity so the woman did the only thing she knew she could, and that was turn to go in the opposite direction. Her pace was fast but steady. There was no real direction to where she wanted to go as long as it got her away from where she was sooner rather than later at that.

It was then that she saw him. For the first time she considered approaching a total stranger, even if it was just to warn him not to go in the direction she had just came from. The woman struggled with herself over whether or not to approach him and after a serious mental pep talk she decided to at least try. Her pace slowed down, to that of a casual stroll before she even dared to take a single step toward him. A soft sigh came from her as she finally managed to take those first few hesitant steps, but the more she took, the more confident she became.

“Hey buddy, do yourself a favor, don't go that way.” She said as he pointed over her shoulder real quick. “Cops all over the place.” Drake had said it quickly, with the intention of carrying on about her way.

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

He saw the girl right as she walked into him and he blinked a few times, then he heard her mention cops, and saw the mild urgency in her body language. They were looking for her, for whatever reason. Luckily, he had fed on someone with Allurist powers recently.

"Well, you got lucky tonight then, young lady. Just stay out of sight, and I'll direct them away from here. But, it's going to cost you a little bit of your time. I know your kind well enough to recognize a Paladin pretty quickly."

Then a few seconds later, he was walking away from her, the street lights making the bit of gray in his hair glint in the light. He approached an officer, and seemed to put on a very charming, silver tongued demeanor. A few moments later, and he had convinced the officer, who turned out to be a sergeant, that he spotted a girl with a partially shaved head and a bag heading to the north just before they got there to canvas the area. Soren was thanked for the information, and a radio call went out, directing the search for the thief elsewhere.

A few moments later and he had walked back to where Drake had just been, and he looked around trying to find the girl's hiding place. "Hey, where'd you go? They're heading to look for you up north."

[Drake Romanov (DELETED 4555)]

Young lady? That was a first. Usually people called her things like freak, girl, and the list actually went on and on, but young lady was never among the names. At least it was something pleasant for once. Drake took a chance at a quick glance over her shoulder just to make sure that no one had followed her or even spotted her for that matter.

She opened her mouth to say something but he was already walking away by time she figured out what to say or ask him. He seemed to know what he was doing, but still she was going to have to make it a point to ask him a few questions when he got back or if he even showed back up at all. A hiding spot? That was a good one but she did as she was supposed to, just to avoid any possible problems. Once she was sure she could just wander off out of sight she did.

Somehow while he was gone, she had managed to climb quietly up a fire escape ladder in the alley. While she was waiting for things to settle down, she decided to make herself at home on part of the fire escape. There was a faint squeaking creaking noise as she sat down but that was about the only noise to leave the alley. Her feet swung a bit, not much though. After all, even she knew that too much movement could be bad.

Boredom was setting in again while she waited on him. Right when she was about to give up on the idea of him showing himself again, there he was looking for her. Well, it was about time she gave up her seat on the fire escape, not that she wanted to, but she needed to get back down there. A few unsteady moves and a small fall of no more than a few feet, and she was back on the ground.

“I didn't go too far.” With that being said she pointed up to where she had been. “Thanks buddy. I really don't think I could have out ran them for too long. You really saved my ***.” Drake dusted her pants off while talking to him. “What can I do to repay you for your help? I have other questions for you but they can wait.”

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

"The only thing you need to do to repay me is to get somewhere safe and hide out. You can give me a call later with your questions."

The man pulled a business card from his wallet with his name, Soren Harken, and his phone number on it and handed it to her.

Along the left side, engraved into the thick paper stock of the card was the symbol for The Order of Saint James, which would look rather familiar to any Paladin, since all the people that have done the training have had the same symbol as a tattoo on their back.

"Seriously, they could be coming back to ask me questions any minute now. And I don't plan to really be around if that happens. We should both be in the clear in the next few hours."

Then, without another word, he turned and slipped down an alley, then rounded a corner and disappeared into the darkness.

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Dhara: She was lost. Hopelessly and irrevocably lost. It didn't bother her to much, it was just barely after dark. She would make it back to her room, hopefully. She adjusted the lute strap, then looked down at the map as she walked, only glancing up when she heard a scuffle. Glancing over, she could have sworn she saw two guys necking in an alley. She walked a little faster, while still watching without trying to, and that was how she slammed directly in to a tall man that she hadn't even seen.

Soren: He blinked a few times, dressed in a WWII era coat, blue button down shirt, and khaki pants. If she had known him, she would've realized that meant he had the night off work. The streetlight near them lit up the light grey color in his hair enough that it would be visible to her. "Well, hello there... ****. Go around that corner and stay against the wall. I'll come get you when it's safe. Won't take more than a minute or two."

Dhara: "Um..." She managed, then followed his directions, dissapearing, she leaned on the wall and stared at the map, hoping to figure out where she was so she could get away from this part of town. It was freaking her out.

Soren: : Once the girl was out of sight, Soren snarled at the vampire that had been approaching her from behind. He flashed fangs of his own, then pulled his revolver from his side and pulled the hammer back quickly. The threat of a fight was enough to make this one back off and head in the opposite direction. The man put the revolver away and dusted his hands off, then headed around the corner to the girl. "Sorry about that. ******* vampires are all over the place, and it looked like you were next on the menu... I'm Soren, by the way."

Dhara: "D-Dhara... Dhara Chai Sabria..." She managed, staring up at him. "Either this is Twilight and you mean vampires, or the Twilight Zone and I'm still asleep..."

Soren: : "It's a lot more like Dracula or Nosferatu or something, where the vampires are actually kind of fuckin creepy, than Twilight where they sparkle and smoke a lot of pot.. Nice to meet you, Dhara Chai Sabria.. You look lost. Would you like directions?"

Dhara: "Just Dhara." She stared at him like he was crazy, gripping the map in her hands tightly. "I was told this place was nuts... now I am starting to believe it. Vampires aren't real." She shoved her pink and auburn hair off her face and stared at him.

Soren: "Oh, they're very real. I feed off of them to gain their powers, sometimes." He was starting to sound crazier by the moment. But, if only she knew what he did.. "Anyway. You probably think I'm nuts. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to get to wherever it is you're trying to go. I don't know how, but you managed to end up in the third worst district in town."

Dhara: "You are nuts!" Her accented voice was rising and she backed away from him slightly. "You are completely crazy!"

Soren: : "Unfortunately not, little lady.. I could tell you all the secrets of this town, if you were willing to hear me out. Hell, I can show you some stuff as proof. Have you seen any of the zombies from Gambondale yet?"

Dhara: She shook her head, honey eyes wide as she stared. "You are nuts, but I like to think I am open minded..."

Soren: : He laughed and nodded, then looked around. A few blocks down the road, a street light had gone out. It was either faulty wiring, which was possible, or a vampire using a shadow power, which was a bit more likely. "Well, regardless of whether or not you think I'm crazy, we should probably get out of here. Either before that ******* vamp comes back with a friend or two, or before some gang banger comes by and decides he likes your ***.. Now, where is it you're looking for?"

Dhara: She stared at him. "I'm not sure I wanna tell you..." She hesitated, then looked at her map. "Um... Wickbridge.."

Soren: : "Alright, we can either head east through Gullsborough, or south through Coastside... Actually, I need to make a stop in Gullsborough anyway to pick something up." He nodded, then started moving up the street, away from the darkened lamp. No other lights had gone out, but it hadn't come back on, either. That could be a good thing.

Dhara: She followed quietly, her soft boots making no noise. The only noise she made was the soft swish of her skirt and the occasional click of the wooden bracelets she wore.

Soren: : They moved along the street, staying to the sidewalk, and only on streets that were fairly well lit. It gave him a slight advantage. The man's night vision wasn't on par with a vampire's, but it was certainly better than a human's.

Dhara: She looked around nervously, fingers hooked in the strap of her lute, her other hand clutching the wrinkled, useless map.

Soren: : He stopped just past the bridge, in front of the Atrum Nex building. It was large and fairly foreboding looking, but it seemed to be in a completely safe condition to enter. "I've gotta step in here for a few moments. You can come in if you'd like, but I'm sure that seems kind of rapey or murdery.."

Dhara: "A little, but it won't be the craziest thing I've done." She tried to sound confident as she followed him.

Soren: : He nodded and stepped inside, holding the door open for her. The lights were always on, and it revealed a strange alter in the middle, with candles and human skulls. But he didn't stop at it. He walked right past and looked over a few maps, then made a few marks in an area of Westwall. After that, he opened a drawer and blinked. "Hey, would you rather use a knife, or a pistol, if someone tried to mug us?"

[Dhara]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Dhara: "Niether!" She squeaked, she hadn't gone much past the door, and now she was staring at him in surprise. "I'm a pacifist!"

Soren: "It's only for the whole 'if your life depends on it' situation, Dhara. I wouldn't ask you to shoot someone or stab them otherwise. I would much rather get you where you're going in one piece."

Dhara: "I um... a gun I guess." She looked distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of any sort of weapon.

Soren: He nodded and tugged a pocket pistol from the drawer. It was small calibre and only held two shots, so even if she did have to use it, there wouldn't be much damage done short of a headshot. He offered it to her and smiled. "Don't mind the sacrificial altar. That was there when we decided to take this place over."

Dhara: "Right..." She took the gun between her thumb and first finger, holding it like a piece of rotting fruit. "I don't know how to use this!"

Soren: He drew his revolver and pointed it at the wall across the room, demonstrating how to hold it. "It's easy. Just point with the barrel facing what you wanna hit, and squeeze the trigger. You probably won't even hit anything, since you've never fired a weapon before."

Dhara: She watched him, then nodded a little. "Okay, I think I got it..." She didn't look at all certain as she awkwardly cupped the weapon, trying to mimic him.

Soren: He re-holstered his weapon and stepped behind her slowly. "I'm going to show you how to hold it a little more properly, so that way if you absolutely have to use it, you can avoid injuring yourself." His arm moved along hers, and he helped her grip the weapon a little more tightly. Then he added slight slack to her elbow, because such a small weapon would have fairly bad recoil. And finally, he placed a hand on her hip and gently guided her so that she was standing to the side, most of her weight behind the weapon. "This stance will keep you from hurting your arm. From here, you just point, and shoot."

Dhara: She tensed when he moved behind her, utterly certain that this was how she was going to die. The instrument strapped to her back kept him from getting to close and she followed his directions, still finding the weapon a frightening thing, but managing to hold it in her small hands. "I think I got it..." She said quietly. "It has a safety, right?"

Soren: He nodded, then showed her the hammer on the weapon. "As long as this is in the position that it's currently in, it won't fire. You need to pull it back before it will shoot. It's double action, so after you fire, you won't need to pull the hammer back a second time. If you pull the hammer back and don't need to use it, tell me and I'll set it back to where it won't fire for you."

Dhara: "Okay." She nodded, trying to take it all in. She'd been in some shady parts of the world, but never one where she needed a gun. She opened the satchel she carried and set the weapon gingerly inside, covering it with one of her spare shirts.

Soren: He nodded then and stepped back over to the table that had held the maps. Soren's bag was removed from his back, and he took a few silver items from it and placed them on the table, then quickly scrawled a note stating who it was for, and where it had come from. After that, he moved back to her with a smile. "Alright, we're good to go now." He gave the girl a smile, before opening the door and letting her step out into the night first.

Dhara: She couldn't move quickly enough and almost tripped over her long skirt in a rush to get back outside. Half of her just wanted to run away and the other half, the half that got her in trouble all the time, was curious and wanted to know more.

Soren: "Please don't fall and injure yourself. We're heading the opposite direction of the hospital." He gave a soft laugh at that, then started heading east once more. A couple small blocks were passed, before they took another right. "Wickbridge is just past the river. We can part ways now, if you want, or you can take the red pill by coming with me and getting to see what's really going on in this city."

Dhara: She walked with him in silence, waiting for her blushing cheeks to cool of. When they stopped, she looked across the river, then up at him, then across the river again. Her weight shifted from one foot to the other and she picked some invisible lint off her sleeve before speaking. "Do you have water to go with that pill?"

Soren: He grinned and shook his head, laughing a bit. "Well, glad to see that you're not going to deny yourself the chance to learn the truth. I wasn't kidding about the vampires, or the zombies, just so you're aware. And we're about to go see some of the zombies to prove to you that I'm not insane. Incidentally, that's going to take us through Wickbridge." Another soft laugh, and he shifted the bag on his back, before heading toward the bridge.

Dhara: She swallowed hard and gripped the strap of her lute tightly, following silently after him, almost like a shadow, save for the bright pink streaks in her hair and the bright purple tunic top she wore with her long black skirt. "Well... I always said I wanted adventure..." She mumbled to herself.

Soren: "We should probably stop off so you can change into something a little more mobile. Jeans, shorts, sneakers, whatever. I'll wait outside the Metronome Club, if you don't want me to see where exactly you're staying." He just gave her a soft smile, trying to let her know that he was serious about that and wasn't planning to harm her or anything of that sort. Meeting a random stranger on the street that's taking you somewhere across town can be disconcerting as it is.

Dhara: "I'm not really staying anywhere at the moment. I'm wearing or carrying everything I own...." She shifted slightly, rocking on the flat soles of her boots.

Soren: "Do you own any jeans and t-shirts? Because if not, we can stop off somewhere and I'll give you a bit of money to buy some." He turned to look at her, slight concern on his face that the girl was living out of her bag. She seemed like a sweet kid, and he had a habit of helping people when they needed it.

Dhara: She shook her head and smiled at him. "No I don't. I've never worn jeans a day in my life." She gave another small shake of her head. "No, that's really okay. Honest. I'll be fine in what I'm wearing. And I don't like to take money unless I've earned it."

Soren: "Look, we have to cut through the sewers. So you're not gonna want your dress dragging. At least change into a skirt or something in the bank restroom."

Dhara: "I'm wearing a skirt." She pointed out, a brow lifting over one honey colored eye.

Soren: He just laughed and shook his head, shrugging a bit. "Alright, suit yourself." He got a flashlight from his bag quickly and tucked it into his back pocket, then led her to the sewer entrance just south of the Metronome Club. "So, if you don't have a place to stay, why did you have to come to Wickbridge? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Dhara: "Because I was trying to get back to Lancaster's and I couldn't remember how. I had a meal there last night." She bent and lifted the hem of her skirt, rucking the material around her knees and tucking the hem in to her belt, revealing the tops of her knee high boots.

Soren: He pulled the door to the sewer repair station open easily, then handed her the flash light that he'd tucked into his back pocket. "We need to move fairly quickly, because vampires tend to like to hang out down here. If you lose sight of me for any reason, keep moving forward until you hit the dead end, then turn right. Take that to the dead end where it jogs slightly to the left. Then go through there, and make a right, and you'll see a ladder that'll take you up into Gambondale.. Got all that?" He wanted to make sure that she could get out of the tunnels if she had to, but he wasn't expecting much trouble.

Dhara: "I think so, yes." She clutched the flashlight and slipped down, waiting for him at the bottom, the small beam doing little for illumination.

Soren: He nodded and watched her slip into the darkness, before he stepped inside as well and pulled the door shut behind them. A moment later, and he was meeting her at the bottom of the stairs, looking around to make sure the coast was clear. Once he was sure it was safe, he stepped into the tunnel and motioned for her to come along.

Dhara: She reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket to be sure she wouldn't lose him, trying to watch where they were going and watch where she was stepping.

Soren: He smiled and moved slightly, so that he could take her hand in his instead of her having to rely on hanging onto his jacket. That would make it easier for her to follow along. He lead her along the maintenance walkway until they reached the first dead end he spoke of. Then a turn to the right, just like he said.

Dhara: Her small hand fit neatly in his and her grip was like iron. She was both excited and terrified of what they were doing, but she refused to back out. Instead, she silently mapped the route in her head, counting the steps diligently in the quiet.

Soren: It didn't take them long to move through the sewers to the ladder that he had mentioned. He climbed it first, because Dhara wouldn't have been able to lift the cover herself. But, Soren popped up the large metal plate almost effortlessly.

Dhara: She watched in awe and shook her head. Some one spent to much time in the gym. And she wondered if he had a little chemical enhancement on top of it. She didn't question it though, simply climbing up after him.

Soren: Once he was above ground, he heard a sound directly behind him and groaned, knowing what was coming. A scuffle with a zombie. And he hadn't had his revolver drawn at the time, meaning it was hand to hand, fending the thing off while avoiding being bitten as best as he could.

Dhara: She popped her head out, gave a surprised squeak and ducked back down, clinging to the ladder and trying to process what she had seen. No freaking way were there really zombies!

Soren: He managed to knock it off its feet, then the man quickly drew his large hunting knife and stabbed through the zombie's shoulder, pinning it to the ground. The creature didn't even seem to notice. "Dhara, c'mere."

Dhara: Her auburn and pink hair was the first thing seen, followed by wide honey colored eyes. She didn't emerge more than that. "W-What is that?!" She tried to sound confident but her voice came out as a soft squeak.

Soren: "I wasn't kidding. There are zombies. And vampires. And we're pretty sure that the zombies are caused by the vampires... Watch this." He yanked his blade back out, and drew his revolver. Two shots hit the zombie in the stomach and it got up anyway, effectively proving that it was, in fact, a zombie. It lunged at Soren and his revolver barrel was shoved into the creature's mouth, before he pulled the trigger and blew out the back of it's head.

Dhara: She had to climb out of the hole, if only because she felt like she was going to pass out. Or throw up. Maybe both. She sat on the ground, her feet dangling inside the hole. She was so pale the scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks stood out starkly. "Oh. My. Goddess..." She whispered.

Soren: "Yeah. I know. It's crazy." He searched the dead zombie quickly, and pocketed the thing's ear. It was the only thing of value on the creature.

Dhara: "Mh.." Was all she said, running a trembling hand through her hair, she finally blinked owlishly, not sure what to say.

Soren: "Interested in learning more about what's really going on here, and helping try to fight back against it? Because, I'll tell you right now that not all the vampires are actually as bad as you might think.."

Dhara: "Is there... um... I need some water." She said numbly, pushing herself to her feet, she edged closer to him, hiding behind his back and peeking around him to study the body. "Are you sure it's dead?"

Soren: "I blew the back of it's ******* head off. It's dead." He laughed and nudged it with his toe a few times just to prove it. "Anyway. Water.. Corvidae Flats or the old Supermarket would be the most likely places. The flats are closer, and people still live there, though. So it's the better option." He pointed to the large apartment building to the south of them, before putting his knife away and offering his hand.

Dhara: She laced her fingers with his, gripping as tightly as she could, following him quietly. "How...? Why...? Why is the government not taking care of this?"

Soren: "They're trying, but, they're incredibly stupid. I mean, unless you see it for yourself, you wouldn't believe that there were zombies. They think it's some sort of virus, which is why they put up the walls here to try to contain the outbreak. They have the mausoleum up in Cherrydale blocked off, too, trying to find a possible source of the 'virus'. Fuckers have no clue it's because of the rift."

Dhara: "Rift?" She echoed dumbly as they reached the apartment. "Why would anyone live here?!"

Soren: "It's inexpensive. And, from what I've been told, the rift is what allows a vampire to return from the dead. We think it's what's bringing the zombies back.. Oh, yeah, the vampires can't die."

Soren: "Not permanently, anyway."

Dhara: "I don't understand." She said as they stepped inside. She looked around curiously. It looked normal, people wandering about, sitting in groups talking, using a computer. And then there were the Zombies. Shambling, shuffling, leaving chunks of themselves behind.

[Dhara]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Soren: He leaned over to whisper into her ear. "These people are mostly vampires. And the ones that aren't either like living somewhere so cheaply, or they get paid rather well to work here." He walked up to the soda machine and put a few dollars in, getting two bottles of water from it. He turned back to Dhara and gasped, then dropped one of the waters to pull his knife and lunge toward her, burying the blade in a zombie's forehead.

Dhara: She watched him, then wondered why he was pulling a knife on her. With a scream, she tumbled out of the way, pushing herself up to see the zombie. Though she was distracted by a more pressing conern, and yanked the lute strap over her head, checking the instrument carefully.

Soren: He went to pull the knife from the zombie's skull, and the blade snapped off at the hilt. "Well, ****. That's a bit of a downer." He moved and threw away the broken weapon handle, then picked the water back up and handed it to her, smiling. "Okay, let's get out of here."

Dhara: She took the water, but didn't get up. She cracked the seal and drank half the bottle in one go. Only then did she recap the bottle and get to her feet, putting her lute back on her back, adjusting the strap across her body. "I... yes please..." She agreed quietly, sliding her hand in to his once more.

Soren: He lead her back out of the building and, instead of going to the sewer tunnel to get back out, they strolled right up to the gate that was guarded by soldiers. He told her to follow his lead, then gave them a frantic, desperate plea to be let out, claiming that the jet-ski they had been riding on ran out of fuel and they were forced to leave it and endure running across this section of town.

Dhara: She didn't have to feign the pale, frightened look on her face, nor the way she clutched his hand. And as the soldiers stared them down, her fear grew, a single tear slipping down her pale cheek, she looked up at the men, her eyes bright with unshed tears. She had once been told she had the best puppy eyes ever.

Soren: The gate was opened and they were rushed through a moment later, after being checked for any bites. After they were through, he looked relieved and gave her a grin. "I can't believe that actually worked. I've never tried it that way before. Normally I just slink back through the sewers."

Dhara: She swiped at her cheeks, her demeanor changing as soon as they were far enough away. She laughed and looked up at him. "Me either... but I don't think they will fall for it again."

Soren: "Well, next time I'm making sure that you know how to use a bit bigger weapon, so we can fight our way out if we have to. You're small enough that you might actually be pretty good with a light sword.." He laughed and walked with her a bit, looking around. The sun was starting to come up in Wickbridge now. "Hmm... feel like doing some shopping?":
Dhara: "Shopping?" She asked curiously, snuggling against his side with out thinking, the action born out of seeking heat rather than seeking romance. "Aren't you tired? And a sword? Really? Bad enough that I have a gun."

Soren: "I work as a bouncer at an all-night country themed bar. This is usually when I'm just getting ready to head home for the night, but tonight was my night off. So, I'm good for a few more hours, honestly. And, yeah, a sword. You could train to be really quick, because of your size."

Dhara: "No. No more weapons! I can't do this! I'm not some... some Rambo like chick."

Soren: "Okay, okay. I won't push that on you. But, the offer is there if you decide you want to learn to better defend yourself... Though, there are a few things that someone as peaceful as yourself could be quite good at. And it would get you paid."

Dhara: She slanted her eyes towards him, burrowed against his side, she bit back a shiver. "Things like what? And where are we going?"

Soren: "Well, I'm a part of a group called The Order. And we're always looking for people to gather random items for us. Weapons, plants, stuff we might use in rituals, or codes for hacking..." As for where they were going, he honestly had no idea. But, there was a store a few hundred yards away that sold clothing. "Least I can do is pick you up some other stuff to wear, and help set you up with a better place to stay until you get on your feet."

[Soren (DELETED 2988)]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Dhara: "No. That's really not needed. It is very kind of you to offer." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and gave him her thousand watt smile, dimples appearing in her cheeks. "Really, it is. But I'm a traveler and I don't know how long I'm going to be here. Don't waste your money. Besides, I didn't do anything to earn such generosity." She looked thoughtful and smiled. "I like plants."

Soren: "Consider it a payment for your time, at least. And helping someone out is never a waste of money. Besides, I have more than I know what to do with. I could pull twenty grand out of the bank and hand it to you without even blinking." He laughed, but was completely serious. Soren sunk money into The Order at every meeting, but he never once needed to buy things for himself that his daily extra-curricular activities couldn't allow him to afford. "And, the place I would be setting you up with is run by a local humanitarian, offering a bed and a warm meal to anyone that needs it. His name is Robert, and the place is called the Solace Sanctuary."

Dhara: "I have a place to stay." She admitted. "I just am not fond of showing people is all."

Soren: "Oh, well, that certainly makes that a moot point then. But, I still want to give you something for your time." He legitimately pulled his wallet from his pocket then, and removed two hundred dollars, holding it out to her.
Dhara: She held her hands up and shook her head. "No, really it is okay. What you showed me is payment enough. Very eye opening."

Soren: "Fine, fine.. But, if you want to learn more, come to the next Order meeting as my guest, alright?"

Dhara: "Now that I will do. When is it?" She smiled up at him, folding her arms so she could rub the chill from them.

Soren: "I actually have no idea yet..." He pulled his wallet out again, and put the money back. Then he produced a business card and handed it to her. All it had was the name "Soren Harken" and his phone number on it. "Give me a call or send a text later, though, so I can get ahold of you before the next meeting."

Dhara: She took the card and gave him a sheepish grin. "I don't have a phone."

Soren: He nodded and looked around, noticing a small cell phone store nearby. "Well, at least let me buy you a prepaid phone and some minutes, so you can get ahold of people in emergencies."

Dhara: She shook her head, a little edgy at his unexpected generosity. "I am pretty easy to find really. And I know where you work, too."

Soren: "Yeah, but if a surprise meeting happens in like two days, then I might not be able to get ahold of you in time for it." He was going to insist on buying her a phone, no matter what she said.

Dhara: "I but..." She sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. "I'm not going to win am I?" She said with a sigh.

Soren: "Not really, no." He laughed at that, then went over to the store and got her a prepaid flip phone with enough time for a few calls and unlimited texting, and he also programmed his number into it already. Then he offered it and the charger to her with a smile.

Dhara: She stared at both the items much the way she had stared at the gun. With distaste. But she accepted the items and tucked them in her satchel. "Thank you Soren. I will wait for you to call." And she would, it would be the only time she would use the phone, too.

Soren: "I figured you could at least use it if you needed to call an ambulance or the police or something else, too." He gave her a small smile. "I'm gonna head home now, and let you get to wherever you're staying and get some sleep."
Dhara: She nodded and looked around. "Where are we?" She asked, still not familiar with the town.

Soren: "We're in Wickbridge, by the morgue. Lancaster's is just to the south of here, not far from the bank."

Dhara: She nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I think I will grab some dinner before turning in."

Soren: "Alright. Have a good night, Dhara, and I certainly hope to see you again soon."

Dhara: "Be safe Soren." She smiled and headed south, looking for the bank.