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[center][@AtomicNut][/center]
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Ward stared back at the snake, not phased in the slightest. 

"Am I supposed to be intimidated?" He blinked, a slightly colder edge entered his voice momentarily. "Though it's certainly nice to see an example of your abilities." Ignoring her request, he made no move to unshackle the door, instead taking a seat upon the nearby table. "The chains weren't for you, not really. You were always free to leave, miss. Or rather, if you find yourself unable to, then this conversation was pointless to begin with, but I expect that shan't be the case."

"And to be honest, I don't know what I want from you beyond an ally in my endeavors. I only know that these schools don't attempt to recruit people who aren't worth their time. Since they've clearly earned your ire, I sought to offer an alternative, for if you caught their interest then you've caught mine. The difference being is that I'm far more likely to make things worth your while. Think, you're just another face in the crowd to them. One of their dozens of students. For me, you're one of the first people I've met here, and you're making... quite the impression." He glanced at the snake still hovering closer to his face than he'd like. A simple matter to remove it, but why antagonize her further? He could already tell this was becoming a losing battle, but he wasn't one to give up that easily. "Again, I don't yet know you well enough to know specifically what you have to offer, but I know enough to know that I'm interested in finding that out, if only you'll allow me to."

"So I'll summarize. You know now what I have to offer and what I plan to do. All that is left is for you to decide if you wish to play a role, to take the chance to make a difference -- in your own life and in this city. So if you want to leave, then leave. If you can open that door, then all I ask is that you consider my offer. If you can't, well, you're still free to go, but that will be the end of things regardless of what you decide."

His expression had been relaxed, bordering on casual throughout their conversation, but suddenly it turned serious, "If you reject my offer I won't be offended, but I will warn you, I'm not the only one here with such goals. The difference being that you'll find the others won't be so straightforward with their intentions."