[center][h3][color=00a651]Jomen Sury[/color][/h3][/center]
[center][i]Location: Oakridge City[/i][/center]
[center][i]Interacting with:[@Mr Rage][@Whoami][/i][/center]
[hr]

Jomen considered the leader for a moment, paying little heed to the guns trained upon him. This, in its own way, was yet another test of his abilities. The leader had not outright denied him yet, the man wanted a way out of the situation, but retained enough of a sense of caution to need assurances that Jomen's words could be true. Given that he had managed to maintain to control discipline with his men, it was clear that the man was a good leader. If he were to apply his focus to the task of ending the Stigma, he could become a valuable asset to the citizenry. However, if Jomen were to show himself as either weak or duplicitous, he had no doubt that he would give the order to fire with no hesitation. The scene was a precarious one, the threat of oncoming bloodshed heavy in the air, but still Jomen tried. 

[color=00a651]"If you refuse this deal, there is no penalty. The situation resumes as it did before with either a new hostage in tow or a new corpse. That's was the risk that I took when I entered this building. My goal here is save human lives, yours included. I have no desire to fight you, only the Stigma destroying our world. The situation here as it would before I made you this offer. No doubt with violence, bloodshed, and suffering on both sides.

To answer the second part of your questions, I may be an Academy student, but I am also a final year student heading into an active war zone under emergency conditions. Under UDF Military Code, Paragraph 18, Section 2 it clearly states, 'Any Guardian or final year Academy Student may recruit suitable individuals for service in times of emergency, including those that have violated UDF previously, so long as the Guardian is aware that she/he is responsible for their actions.' As for a guarantee, you may look up that specific part of the UDF Military Code yourselves for confirmation. And as I have already said, I will also accompany you myself to the Battle to ensure your exit is not impeded.

In addition, you can seize the narrative shown to the public, that will gain you yet another layer of protection from the UDF. Broadcast yourselves, make it known what you are doing: protecting the innocent people of Ledale. All of you who make it through the fight will be hailed as heroes and if any of you should fall, you become martyrs. Surely that is a better goal for you to accomplish than remaining in this office building. I am not asking you to go quiet into the night, I am asking you to fight alongside me."
[/color]

The six guns trained on him wavered slightly, but did not move from his person, as their owners glanced to their leader for their orders. Jomen awaited silently, he had done and said all he could for these people, if they fired he would have no choice but to defend himself and hope someone had gotten to the hostages while he spoke to the group. He hoped they would agre though, mankind needed cooperation to survive and prevail against their shared foes.

[hr][hr]
[center][color=0072bc]W A T E R Y  G R A V E[/color][/center]
[@Prisk]

Jomen tensed slightly as he felt Celise's light touch as she hooked her arm around his. He forced himself to relax as he recalled that this was a specific pattern of behavior that she had acted upon before. Celise merely showed approval for certain actions through touch rather than vocal responses in most cases it seemed. He looked at the shrine where new spirits had gathered satisfied that it would remain. As he watched the new spirits enjoy their new cover, the corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly.

[quote] Sometimes I wonder what’s going to happen after all of this. Will our spirits just leave us once the Stigma is gone? For every day that passes, I feel more connected to them than the day before, and I’m not sure I could handle all of them just disappearing. Do you ever feel like this?" [/quote]

Celise asked the question as they trod toward the Main Street. Jomen remained quiet giving the question the thought that it deserved. Before he had finished thinking his answer through, he spotted two of the Mayor's private security ready with their transport vehicle to the mayor's office. Celise entered the cramped space in the back first, awkwardly holding her sword between her legs. The blade was certainly an odd one as well made of black metal Jomen couldn't identify and seemingly too light for its size. He would be quite interested to know where it came from and and made a mental note to ask her after the current mission. His own staff was even more awkward to handle inside the car, and ended up wedged against the floor closer to the front of the care and the rear view window.

They drove the only path they could, navigating through the flooded streets often backtracking to find another path. They arrived at the larger government building that housed the Mayor's office. The two security personnel entered inside to ensure that the interior was safe leaving Celise and Jomen to get their respective weapons out of the car. With some complicated manuevings and possibly some small scratches on the interior of the car, Jomen extracted himself from the vehicle. They had a moment before the guards came back outside to get them.

[color=00a651]"Regarding your earlier question, yes. Each of my spirits are a part of me, central to my being. They are my closest friends in their own way.  They allow me to be who I am and without them, I am not certain who I would be. But I believe that most of them will return should we end the Stigma, but not all. Some will need help to rebuild their homes and for however difficult it may be to let them all go, we owe them that much for all they have done for us."[/color] Jomen paused for another moment in thought.

[color=00a651]"Perhaps they will allow us to visit."[/color]

The security team came back out and ushered them inside as a heavier rain began to come down. The Mayor, a smaller man who had heavy bags under his eyes and what seemed a near perpetual sheen of sweat on his skin. He ushered them into two ready chairs in his office and shut the door behind them as though trying to ensure absolute certain they would not be overheard. 

"Thank you, thank you both for coming so much, it means so much to our town to have such valiant Guardians come to our town and rescue us from these dire circumstances. I have ready the maps of our whaling industry that you requested Guardian Jomen and as I am sure you will see, we had expanded our ability to supply the UDF with more Whale Oil before these incidents started."

Jomen reached over and took the handed maps and operations data examining them searching for additional clues that may support or disprove his hypothesis that the expanded whaling may have been the start of the problem. He left the talking to Celise as he attempted to pinpoint the creatures location.