Colin's posts

"All righty then." Jake replied as she went through the door.

"Look left!" she then heard him call out.

When she did, she saw a TV screen on the wall, with an interactive floor plan for the floor she was on... but as it stood, it was just currently showing the overall floor scheme.

"So you don't get lost!" he called further.

"There's one on every floor, generally in the centre lounge area of said floor!" he then added.

Seeing as this issue's been resolved, I'll be locking this thread.

"Heh, nice one." Jake replied.

He then paused for a moment, before his tongue darted out a few times.

"Yep." he said.

"Identity confirmed." he told her.

"Your scent is still fresh in my mouth." he told her further with an almost predator-like grin.

He then pushed the button, and she heard a buzzing sound.

"In ya go." he said.

"Jake." the guard responded from behind his newspaper... just as they heard a thunder roar, as well as water droplets starting to hit the pavement outside.

"Guess you got back just in time." he said.

"So... I hear the boss man's hired you." he went on.

"Congrats." he said further.

"And yeah, I'll give partial credit for the 'J'." he then added with a smirk.

"Protein, eh?" Ryker asked.

"Hmmm." he muttered.

"I think there's a stream nearby." he said. "I might be able to fish something up." he told Eke.

"As for now..." he mumbled.

"I still have some beef jerky for you to snack on." he told him.

He then dug into the bag, and pulled out a handful of the jerky, handing it to the younger male.

Samson nodded as Peyton said what she did, before looking back at Hal.

"Thank you for what you're doing for my daughter." he said, extending a hand.

"My pleasure, Mr Carter." Hal responded, accepting it.

"Samson." the man responded. "But you can call me Sam." he then said.

"I extend the same offer to you and your wife in return." Hal responded. "Call me Hal. Or just 'Sharp', if you prefer." he told them.

He then grabbed a business card, and wrote something on the back of it, before giving it to Peyton.

"One of my special business cards, with the address of the bank written on the back." he told her. "It should streamline the process."

"Oh, but it is." Hal insisted.

"After all, if you're going to open a bank account, you need to have an initial deposit." he told her.

"And I refuse to hear any quibble about the amount." he then quickly said.

"Go with your parents and set up your bank account." he then said further.

"While you're doing so, I will find one of our apartment dorms for you to reside in." he continued, before pausing.

"But, one question." he went on, pausing for a moment.

"Do you prefer a key card for the door, or an actual key?" he asked.

Hal seemed to legitimately glare at Peyton for a fraction of a second, before sighing.

He then pulled out a chequebook, scribbled something on it, tore the cheque out, and handed it to her.

"Here." he said.

"When someone signs on to work for me, it's standard procedure to receive a signing bonus, considering who we are, what we do, and how we operate." he told her.

When Peyton looked at the cheque, she saw it was, legitimately, for $2000.

Hal nodded.

"I am not." he said.

"What are you, if you don't mind us asking?" Sam asked.

"Ahh, there are certain things about myself that only my closest friends are allowed to know." Hal told them. "No offence intended, but I DO have my secrets." he said further.

"Secrets that not even Peyton will learn, or reveal she HAS learned, or spread if she has, indeed, found out." he then said in a vaguely threatening, extremely serious tone.

"...I... see." Sam muttered.

"Oh!" Hal then exclaimed, snapping his fingers, his tone far lighter and more jovial now.

"I almost forgot! The signing bonus!" he said, before digging in a shallower drawer for something.

Hal shook his head.

"Never cared about looks, myself." he said.

"We'll just have to work on getting you some proper I.D... and registering you with the Triad." he told her.

"Triad?" Samson asked.

"A body that governs legal matters involving mythical beings, what could be considered non-humans, that sort of thing." Hal explained.

"Despite not being related to Japan in any way, you could be considered a mythical kitsune, for all intents and purposes." he told Peyton.

"You would be classified as non-human... much like myself." he then revealed to her.

Hal just laughed.

"It's no sorcery, I assure you." he said.

"Just very advanced, specialized cloaking technology, mixed with just a HINT of mana." he told them.

"Here." he then told Peyton, handing her a small mirror.

"See for yourself what's happened."

"For now, it's a loaner to help you blend into society." Hal responded.

"Open it." he told her.

When she did, she found a very simple necklace, but it had an absolutely gorgeous blue marble at the end of it.

"Put it on, and grasp the marble in your hand for 3 seconds." he told her.

Peyton nodded and did so... which caused all of her vulpine features to suddenly... disappear.

Samson just sighed.

"Things are... difficult." he said.

"I can imagine so." Hal replied.

"Now, there's a bank down the road that specifically works with US." he told them. "They don't care about being different, if you work for me, they'll allow you to have a bank account." he went on.

"I'm willing to bet you could open an account there, if you visited with your parents." he continued, before there was a knock on the door. Hal beckoned them in, and the young man handed him a small black box, before excusing himself and leaving.

"Here." Hal said to Peyton.

"What's inside is for you." he told her.

"Temporarily, anyway." he then added.

"Hmmmmm." Hal mumbled, before picking up the receiver of the phone on his desk. He punched a few numbers into it, and waited for a moment.

"....yes, it's Sharp. Send me an N3-L4... model... C." he told whomever was on the other end. "ASAP. Which is to say, NOW." he finished, before hanging up.

"You're going to need a bank account." he told Peyton.

"And I'm assuming you don't have one of those as well, am I correct?" he asked her.