Meeting of minds. (Stern Plot)

[stern]

Stern sat in the woods, on a rather large stump. There were many around him, some familiar, most new. Still, they mostly shared one goal, in that they wanted to see the Pillars gone. Those who didn't share that goal were loyal to Stern long ago.

Stern viewed today as one of the major times in his plan. Unlike before, when he simply just took his manpower from the masses, he couldn't do it this time. The people he needed were generally self-motivated, which meant he had to persuade them to follow him. The only thing of merit they knew of right now of Stern was that he gathered them all in one place. No small feat, but probably not enough to garner respect.

Still, he looked out into the crowd, if you could call the small gathering that, and decided exactly was the best way to get his next point across.

[taru]

Taru sat upon a branch connected to a tree a small distance from the stump where Stern sat. Taru looked at him as he started to think. So...This is the guy who wants to take out the whole pillar system...I think he could do it. Maybe for Hircine atleast. The other schools probaly not. But his concern was only for Hircine. No pillars in Hircine is truly freedom as Taru saw. Taru jumped down from the tree and approached Stern with a stern expression.

ooc:Lol...

Ic:
"Stern. What's your plan of action?"

Taru said with a stern expression. Taru scratched the back of his head as he awaited Stern's response. This guy better know what he's doing. Or this is gonna get screwed over pretty quickly. Stern taking out the pillars would require some planning and some good deception slash bad ass fighters. Taru could decept but fighting wasn't his strong point. He could fight if necessary but that will be his last resort.

[stern]

"In due time Taru...your not the only one who wants to hear this. Your ephusiasm will be your downfall if your don't leask it with temperance, and the kind of people we will be associating with are just as likely to abuse it as those we aim to defeat."

Stern never looked at Taru as he spoke, as the boy had yet to earn that sort of respect. Being eager to help just made one easy to manipulate on both sides, which made him a liability. Stern knew he was going to keep Taru among those in the dark about the finer details, as he would be an easy way to find out for others who weren't involved. Tonight was about the general scheme, not the little details. It was a rally, not the last meeting in the war room.

~Zeniro, Adam,.....others are not here yet as well. I'll give them a bit more time.~

[Pain Killer]

Heh, same old Stern.

Whatever thoughts Adam might have had that Stern was different from before were put to rest as he heard the student's response to Taru. Having just arrived, Pain Killer caught the tail end of the conversation, and couldn't help but feel satisfied at Stern's reply. He came to a stop a few feet off to the side from the general crowd, not quite comfortable with mingling among strangers, though he was certainly within hearing range should the gang leader begin to speak.

"Hey, I made it."

With those words and a small two-fingered wave, Adam would let Stern know he'd arrived, in case he hadn't noticed due to the students present already. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Adam simply stood and waited, knowing full well that this couldn't be all that had been summoned here. After all, where there was Stern, there was Zeniro. Besides, there could be some familiar faces who would show up, giving Adam more than enough to keep himself occupied as he waited for Stern to begin his meeting.

[Valencia Donahue]

Off to side, in the crowd of unknown faces was one that belonged to a certain young lady who at the time… Didn’t look like one. Blame the expression she typically wears on her countenance in situations like these. Lately, especially since the underground tournament, Valencia’s friends have been supportive of fueling her curiosity towards the Varron population, unaware of the other reason or two why she was fishing for information. Here, we have double-edged sword. Valencia did not like the fact that she got blackmailed into the system, therefore, she’ll do practically anything she can to get out of it with as many internal organs intact as possible. Unfortunately, “anything” may range from staying in Principal MacMillan’s good graces until graduation or dismantling the confounded thing itself. She didn’t care… As long as she had options to choose from, she was satisfied. So with that said, it was to her best interest that she remained unknown in this small sea of faces.

Valencia readjusted the dark glasses she sported on her face, the very kind she used to wear before it was known that she wasn’t blind. Solemnly still, her long hair was tied up into a bun and tucked beneath her white beret with a few loose bangs drifting lazily over her features. A simple coat was enough to prevent people from knowing off the bat by looking at her body shape that she was a female and clutched firmly in her grasp was her retractable cane to give her a sense of security amongst this motley crew. If anyone so much as knows of her ties to Pillars, let alone who she is, she’d be dead in an instant. Was she a spy? Flip a coin. Your guess is as good as mine.

So my friends said come here if I wanted answers… Alright, I’m here… Let’s see where this’ll go. Hopefully, no one is crazy enough to--

Her train of thought smacked into a mental truck when she saw that Taru was there. Now, that wouldn’t be too much of a bad thing, since Valencia was once again taking up a different guise, but… Dang, if only he weren’t so anxious. Her guts told the young lady to look down, concentrate on what’s going to be said, and only look about when the need to identify arises. It was the only smart thing to do and she can’t afford to mess up.

Thus far, it’s a safe bet that Stern fella up front… And recent arrival with the audacity to announce his own entry to the head honcho himself after the other guy messed up is a key figure. Okay… Valencia, keep observing.

[kenshin]

Oh this will be a fine evening... Raph thought to himself. The Walk through the woods seemed abit tedious then when he first came here. Thats the tree's seemed more dense then before. But he'd get through it eventually, due to the meeting he knew was going to be held. When something was related to the pillars, He had to be involved. He had no problem witht the pillar,s but they still pissed him and others like him for far too long. Tiao was one fo them. He refers to him as the 'Demon of Hircine' due to his Ferocious Nature. One of the watchmen were severaly injured by him, And he persoanlly wanted vengeance for that. Finally, after rustling through a few bushs, he made his way to the small group.

Stepping out from the emerald green blades of grass, he stopped by the small group, arms folded and a stern look of importance on his face. He looked around the group. HE recognized one of them. It was the woman, Valencia Was it? Her friends placed a bet on him and nearly won, til Xenarius had to have the last punch. This woman intrigued him for a while. When he would have a chance, he would talk to her alone. then his eyes concentrated heavly on the man that could be the one named 'Stern'. the other who jumped from the tree sort of made a scene. He Simply shook his head and concentrated once again. One of the students next to him nudged him a tad and whispered to him, 'This will be fun...' He heard the words spill into his ears and into his mind. Closing his eyes for a few, He spoke softly but silently, "I hope so..."

[stern]

Stern looked around, noting not everyone he wanted to come had arrived yet. It didn't matter though, as it was not necessarily necessary that people be here from the start..Stern had a habit of improving plans half-way through anyway. He rose up from his sitting position, and quickly climbed to stand on the stump he had just been sitting on, adding to his impressive size already.

~Zeniro never really cared for the details anyway, he just wants to know when to kill~

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm going to start this off with a hypothesis of sorts. I'm sure your all anxious to hear what I really have to say, but it is important that I do this for the sake of the ideals I believe we all share."

"I hold it, due to the nature and my claims, as well as this meeting, that all of you do not like the way things work. You may not necessarily find the methods and policies of this system completely flawed, but you find that change for the better is necessary, be it simply a change of those who hold office or as grand as the policies they hold. You want these changes in the name of personal freedom, the right to do what your wish, and to see the day were one such as me, who implores those around them for change, can do so freely without needing to do so in the woods as the day ends."

Stern quickly raised his hand, extended his finger, as slowly dragged it across the crowd as he spoke his next points. All the while, he made sure to make eye contact with all that were looking at him, so they knew his challenge was to them personally.

"You also know that the way things stand, change is not coming, at least for Hircine. Those who can voice their opinions to the government do not care or do not see the problems we face. The school itself crushes dissenters under foot, stifling their desires without even giving them consideration. You know that action must be taken, and to do that requires the courage to go against this the beast that holds us in it's jaws."

"I do not ask your to fight with fist, to draw your fellows blood. I merely ask that you be willing to bleed for this cause when their corrupt methods attempt to strike us down, to bear the abuse they shall toss toward us. For if we act as they do, we shall lose. We need to convince those who feign apathy from fear and hopelessness that we can win despite the odds, for every person that stands and claims "I will not fight for you" they become weaker while the voice of the masses grows louder."

"What I as for all of you now, is knowing how I view you, if your willing to do what it takes to show others the light, to make them see something better is out their if they are willing to refuse the treatment they are given? What I ask is if you are willing to stand firm as the storm that rages against us? Are you willing to show their corruption by taking it, rather than becoming that which they claim we truly are? If you cannot do this, I recommend you leave now."

Stern was testing them, each and every one of them. He wanted to see them think about it, to truly ponder whether they can contain their temper. Stern did intend to have them lose that temper occasionally, when necessary, but he had to know they could stay their hand. If not, they were a danger to his goals.

Above all though, he had to check whether they found his goals willing to fight for. Any man who is willing to be beaten for something is more than willing to raise a fist for it.

[pinefresh]

(OOC: Damn I hope I'm not too late for this)

~If I knew I was coming to a sermon I would have brought my bible.~ Malikai thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold before him. There were many people around all there for different reasons. Many of the Hircinians were there simply because they wanted the pillars removed. Malikai could only agree and follow with their motive, as it was his as well. So long he had wanted the pillars gone and now he could. Perhaps through this Stern character the balance could be restored to the student body and not the puppet oligarchy of the pillars.

It had to be handed to Stern, he had a way with words. Had Malikai been a weaker person he would have thrown himself at the mercy of the cause without any questions. He was right however, people needed to bleed for the cause in order to make it possible. What it seemed much of the surrounding mass didn't understand was that he had lied about having to fight. A human being can only take so much punishment before being forced to fight back out of sheer need for survival. These people would draw the blood of their fellows before this fight was over they just didn't know it yet. A group this size could not hope to fight against the pillars but by gaining followers by use of passive resistance he could easily tell them to attack.

~Very smart Stern, perhaps I'll follow you just to see how this ends.~

Malikai could also hear the former Varronites talk about how it was under Stern in Varron. He gave them power and a reason to fight. Pine had told him of this, but he failed to mention the persuasive power Stern held. He did mention that had it not been for his loyalty to Ein he probably would have joined Stern. Malikai would have been the same had he not been told by Loire that Ein himself had joined forces with the pillars. Loire was to dangerous to follow and Alkaiser could not command Malikai, he did not impress him enough.

Moving through the group Malikai swore he saw a pair of grey eyes focused on what was to come. ~Valencia?~ He thought before he lost sight of the eyes. He convinced himself that it had been either someone else or a figment of his imagination and moved right to the front of the crowd to stand near Stern. "So what happens now?" He yelled over the volume of the crowd to Stern.

[stern]

Stern heard the request over the crowd, noting it was a voice from the boy from earlier. He didn't catch his name at the time, but he was the one who claimed he had information. It seemed, this time, that Stern was on the receiving end of the questions.

Stern paused and waited for those to leave who would. He doubted many actually would, and he doubted those who stayed would live up to the promise they had made. It didn't matter though, for as long as one of Stern true subordinates were there it would not matter.

"The plan is simple, so simple that a small amount of observation makes it obvious the easy approach. The Pillars gather their strength from three locations. The administration, the students that follow them, and their own personal abilities. The first we don't have to take out, as the removal of the Pillars will limit their ability to control student affairs. The last is easy enough to handle, I myself could easily take down any of the group."

Stern's last statement was spoken as a casual, unarguable fact. It had seemed as though he had said the sky was blue. There was absolutely no doubt in his voice, and no attempts to press the matter on the crowd.

In short, he could beat the student captain, end of discussion.

"The second power, their hold over the student body, is their weak point. If we undermine that strength, cause the student body to doubt them. They control by oppression, but oppression only stands if absolute in power. The second they lose those standing behind them, they lose the ability to assert their will. When they lose their authority, their titles are just words, and we can establish a better system in the vacuum left by them."

"The key to this will be to establish ourselves as better than they are to govern. The best way is to not actually show a superior ability to govern, as that isn't possible against an established system. We need to show we are everything they fail at. We need to show open ears, true social mobility, freedom, and all those things people think they are sacrificing rather than being stripped of. We'll be running a propaganda campaign, not a military one. I'm the only one here who has something that will defiantly protect us from blackmail if we try this, and therefore beyond approach by administration and Pillars themselves, making me a choice figurehead for our organization. By portraying a overall positive image, and vocalizing on a overwhelming scale the suppressed voice of the masses, we will shift public opinion heavily into our favor."

"Basically, by refusing to fight until this has happened, when we finally decide to conflict with the established order, they will have already lost.by enforcing their ideals instead of convincing others of them, the Pillars have set the stage for a bloodless revolution."

"This is why I demand enormous strength of will, as though it will be painful to not strike back, for everyone of you that gets publicly beaten more will rise up instead of cowering as before. I ask you not to fight, but to stand tall, when they try to be silence you to yell, and when they knock you down to get back up. They, who have used fear for so long, shall know it when you rise up after your beating an ask for another! You few, who have retained your individuality against this tide of conformity, are the only ones who have the ideals necessary to make this sacrifice!"

The crowd roared, their years of frustration now given hope for exit. Stern seemed to manage to ensnare the weakest willed of them for this strategy, becoming he shepherd that would lead the lambs to the slaughter. As bleak as the plan was, it was a necessary part of Stern overall strategy. The one thing the school needed to take on the Pillars was another symbol to follow. Stern intended for that symbol to be him.

He motioned with his hand to Adam, telling him to come near. As always, Stern had a back up plan. All good back up plans required someone who was loyal to him.

[Pain Killer]

OOC: Moved my post, since it makes more sense to be after.

IC:

...Is he serious?

The concept of simply standing and taking a beating from someone never occurred to Adam before, and he found the thought... unsettling, at best. Of all the things he'd expected from Stern, this was not one of them. and the sheer fact it was so odd made Pain Killer hesitant at first to simply accept immediately.

But it's Stern. He knows what he's doing.

Still, there was a small problem. Adam had already agreed to fight alongside another group, during a time they attempted their own plans to take down the corrupt system. This had been before Pain Killer knew Stern was at Hircine, and while he had no problem breaking his word to that small collaboration, Shuya had a certain bit of info that was very important to the youngest living Rydell, bringing him to his current dilemma. Should he betray his comrades, and follow through with Stern's plan? Or make an exception, just for that particularly sensitive information that he needed?

With no clear answer in mind, Adam said nothing in response, dropping his gaze to the ground. When it came down to it, it seemed he'd have to deal with that situation when the time came. His eyes glanced back up, catching the motion Stern gave him, causing him to instantly start walking quickly but casually up to the leader of this meeting, bringing himself off slightly to Stern's right. His expression remained neutral, though Adam was admittedly curious as to what the younger man had in mind.

Whatever it was, of course, he would follow unquestioningly.

[stern]

Stern lowered himself off the stump, mingling with the crowd as they asked their own questions about the plan. He complied, putting on a facade of true concern of their worries until Adam came along. When he got near, Stern reached out and pulled him in by his shoulder, lining up his ear next to his mouth. He needed to be heard over the crowd, and he needed the crowd not to hear him.

"You find the people who are doubtful of my plan and bring them to me. I'll need you to be the spokesman to this shows stage crew."

Stern had no belief that this plan, as far as he had presented it, had any chance of working. The one who were agreeing were the optimists, who thought through compassion they could force change. They reminded him of Loire, though he too was coming to learn that true change needed to be force fed at times...at least until they learn how sweet the taste was.

"Go."

Stern turned away and began talking to the crowd again, answering the same stupid questions over again, making petty plans over posters, petitions, and protests. He hoped he could end this soon, because he wanted to finish his true meeting before it got too late.

[Valencia Donahue]

Stationary, still, and heeding Stern’s words with concentrated resolve, Valencia had to look up over the top of her dark glasses to make sure that she was listening to the same person. He was one hell of an effective speaker, but her guts told her to stay wary and to not let his words permeate into her skull. After her run-in with the principal, she really didn’t want to hit another blue screen when her processing could be put to better use, like recording everything she witnessed here and thinking carefully about what ought to be done next. Valencia readjusted the beret on her head and brushed a couple more strands of hair over her face as she continued to listen, then simmered over Stern’s words while everyone else was already boiling with anticipation. Sure, she can take anything that’s dished her way. Hell, she even (mentally) dared the administration and its Pillars to do the dishing, but all that drained down to one thing and one thing alone: Why?

For Valencia, she simply wanted to deal with the problem, dismiss it from her mind, and never really think about it again. Of course, that changed when circumstances turned for the worse, and even then she dared the worst to occur, but she just… Did whatever seemed like a “good idea” at the time and figured that whatever came next would be in her grasp enough to gain some sort of control and break free again. Some sort of wishful thinking, huh? As for Stern, and from what he’s going on about, this nonviolent resistance seemed a bit sketchy and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He gathered up a bunch of lunatics and told them not to go nuts. Great. That’s like telling a jar of water in a freezer to not blast the thing open. What he was describing certainly wasn’t your Gandhi’s satyagraha because… Well, the aura here was weird. What’s in it for HIM? Aside from just “helping people”? Sure, it’ll reveal the bad things in the System, but—Something was just wrong here. Instead of pursuing her thoughts any further, she bided her time and got more intel. Of all people, the one to initiate the next bout of intel was Malikai, a friend of hers. Valencia froze, then gulped. This was just too weird for words, so naturally, she kept quiet and tried to blend even more into the crowd, in hopes of it doing some sort of good.

Okay, an explanation. Smack the crap outta the current System, then reestablish a new one. Sounds a lot like how people say it’s easy to take down a government, but hell to set up a new one that works. Gee, and look at who’s going to be the top dog. What garnered Valencia’s attention yet again was when Stern said he had something to safeguard them against blackmail. Hey, waddya know. She’s a blackmail victim too. Yay! No, not yay. Snap out of it, Valencia, can’t you see that you’re not the only one here who is in the same boat as you? Good. Now that she got her senses back in order, Valencia decided to do more thinking as people swarmed around her to move closer to the front. It was annoying because it screwed up her “radar”, but nothing else was being said, so it was perfect timing to contemplate. When things sounded too good, that’s when you have to worry. A promise to deal with the blackmail thingy… Oh, was she curious to know what it was. But to get such information, that’d mean she’ll hafta pledge allegiance to him, huh?

So it’s over…? Stay or go, the rumors will always spread… With that in mind, it shouldn’t matter either way if I choose to stay or go. This Stern person is a bright one I don’t want to stay within ten feet of. Influential people like him rattle my nerves and make me uneasy… I think I’m done here… I’ll just get whatever I missed later… I want options. If I don’t find whatever I need elsewhere, I’ll do some “reconsidering”… Yeah.

Valencia adjusted her dark glasses and took one last look at the gathering. After a few observations, she turned away and began to walk a brisk pace, occasionally brushing against people and nudging them to the side with her cane to make way.

“Si dieu existe, qu'il me donne de la force.”

[kenshin]

His mind was straining to take in every single word Stern said into his cerebrium. but as every second past, he grew more awed and inspired by his speech. such...such Charisma...such Karma. This man either has been brought up by either one of the former presidents, or was simply born a natural born leader. HE said, his neutral gaze on stern remained intact. Blinking when only needed, and breathing when needed to. Ok lets analyze....


You may not necessarily find the methods and policies of this system completely flawed, but you find that change for the better is necessary, be it simply a change of those who hold office or as grand as the policies they hold.

He's obviously referred to the System the Pillars and Captain have. But he may be including the principle. Lets make a mental and Physical note later.

"You also know that the way things stand, change is not coming, at least for Hircine. Those who can voice their opinions to the government do not care or do not see the problems we face. The school itself crushes dissenters under foot, stifling their desires without even giving them consideration. You know that action must be taken, and to do that requires the courage to go against this the beast that holds us in it's jaws."

Hey i hate the system as much as you do, But there IS possibilty for change! However you do have some valid points on the topic.

"The plan is simple, so simple that a small amount of observation makes it obvious the easy approach. The Pillars gather their strength from three locations. The administration, the students that follow them, and their own personal abilities. The first we don't have to take out, as the removal of the Pillars will limit their ability to control student affairs. The last is easy enough to handle, I myself could easily take down any of the group."


Ok i know now about the three pillars of Power in Hircine. The Administration, The Pillars and the Student Body. The pillars draw the power from the student body. The Pillars receive their powers from the Admins, the students and their own abilitys...Check.

"The second power, their hold over the student body, is their weak point. If we undermine that strength, cause the student body to doubt them. They control by oppression, but oppression only stands if absolute in power. The second they lose those standing behind them, they lose the ability to assert their will. When they lose their authority, their titles are just words, and we can establish a better system in the vacuum left by them."

So Aim for the students, and you automatically take down the pillars. Since i saw a demonstration of Power by Kurtz...its obvious enough. Ok...i think i got all i can down.

And with that, he stroke some hair out of his eyes and left the scene. He noticed Valencia doing the same. gotta be careful of her too...He though and went through the bushes once more to leave this forest. He had a lot of explaining to do, Oh Lord did he have alot.

[Zeniro]

A dark stalwart figure stood in utter silence. The massive frame although shadowed could belong to non other than Zeniro Tangaroa. He had been told of the meeting and he came. Unlike the rest he did not show his face in the crowd. Zeniro did not enjoy the company of crowds and he did not wish to mingle with the masses. Instead he kept himself within ears-shot of every word that left the lips of Stern Mason. All other voices were lost on Zeniro. Every word the man spoke was absorbed by the Maori...Stern didn't dissapoint. Zeniro was a one track minded rather primal individual, his mind understood one thing and one thing only and that was violence...Stern had always delivered this in sufficient amounts. Stern spoke now of suffering the blows of their foes to portray them in an ill light. Zeniro saw this as nothing less than a stroke of sheer genius. The thought of standing and simply allowing an indivdual hit him actually brought a twisted grin to Zeniro's lips. He imagined the face of one of the pillars as they dealt blow after blow to no avail, Zeniro closed his eyes...his dark imagination taking over as he got to the point where he could almost taste his own blood.

There was one mistake everyone made about Zeniro, everyone thought he was purely a sadist. All the quacks he had ever seen had seen that side of him and that side only. Zeniro however took as much pleasure in receiving as he did in giving. The simple fact was their were few people who ever faced Zeniro who ever stood long enough to reveal this side of him. Maybe this time the students would see a new side to Zeniro, the side that would take anything you had to deal and simply stand their and smile at you while he bled.
A sharp tug at Zeniro's right hand caused him to snap from his thoughts. Ozaris's chain lead had grown taught and the massive american pitbull let out a slow whimper. Zeniro followed his pets gaze and noticed the crowd was dispanding. Zeniro nodded slowly and allowed some slack to his lead. Ozaris had always been fine with Stern, perhaps sensing his masters respect for the man. Toward other people however, Ozaris seemed to be a reflection of his masters animosity and would react violently towards anyone who came to close. At his dogs wish Zeniro took a few steps forward and before long he was walking straight toward Stern. His face as cold as ever as it scanned the faces of the dissapating crowd.

"So it's started then."

[stern]

"Yes, I believe it has.....I think this'll make a good cover for the real plans I've made."

Stern spoke frankly, knowing that most people had left and those remaining were no longer in distance to here him. Stern didn't have the liesure of a gang war this time, so he needed to make a distraction. With Kvist, Loire, Watchmen, Shuya, and general voilence all at once, it was unlikely that the Pillars would pay attention to the group that had a strictly non-violent stance. This would give Stern a positive look in the eyes of the general populace, as he was neither a threat nor a trouble-maker. It wouldn't work on those who had experience with him, but most of Hircine hadn't gotten to know him yet.

Most of Varron had never gotten close enough to see through his public face last time either.

"I have a job for you Zeniro, something that may require you deal wth some trash to accomplish, but it could be rewarding in the long run. I can't do it myself, and most people think your just muscle anyway. Find Shuya, and ask him if I was still willing to meet his terms, if he'd agree to the bargain we made long ago."

Zeniro had never known about the deal Stern had made with Shuya, most didn't. It was a single meeting in the woods one day, and it was Stern's back up plan to make sure when his true plan actually started, nothing could stop it. His plan was stopped just before that point however, and but it would make an excellent opening move.

Stern knelt down and began to scratch Oaziris under his chain. Stern rather liked the dog, most not getting past it's violent temperment. Stern got along with Zeniro well, and the dog was a very similar matter. Stern always scratched it unders it's chains, knowing it was very uncomfortable to be tied in them.

"Also, I need you to show up for at least a few of the cover activities...it'll make a good show of how I can reform the school if I "reform" you."

[Pain Killer]

OOC: Sorry for taking so long, for the life of me I couldn't figure out what to say. Probably why it's so short, too.

IC:

I don't even know what that means! The wording Stern had used was confusing for the somewhat simple Rydell boy, and it took a full three seconds before he collected himself enough to respond.

"Sure thing."

While Pain Killer hadn't expected such a confusing task, he would perform it to the best of his ability. As he took a step in the direction of the retreating crowd, however, he could feel one thought nagging at him. At one point, it would come up eventually, and the longer Adam put it off, the better the chance that it would blow up in his face. He turned back towards Stern, who was at this point conversing with the recently-arrived Zeniro, and waited for a break in the conversation before interjecting.

"Um... Stern? At one point, I think we might need to talk for a bit. Some things have come up that you may want to know about."

It was somewhat of a lie, as the situation hadn't recently come up, but rather, been in the works for a fair amount of time. Adam shifted nervously, feeling more pressured now that Zeniro was there, simply because it made it more difficult on him should Stern be displeased with what he had to say. Regardless, at this point, Adam's nerve began to fail him, and believing Stern was busy, he would turn away and begin following the crowd, searching for those who were giving some sign of doubt in their actions. After all, Pain Killer was far from being a mind-reader, and it would require a fairly apparent action for him to notice discontent among the students regarding Stern's plan.

[Kit Lee]

Kit had come to the woods for peace and quiet so that he could think in peace. However, it seemed that would not happen as he heard someone approach. Quickly climbing a tree, Kit watched from above to see who was coming. It seemed that a boy was organizing a meeting in the woods. Watching intently within the shadow and cover of the leaves, Kit pulled out his pad to record the events of this meeting as soon as he heard that it was a meeting to destroy the current balance and stability of the school. This was something Kit did not want. Though he did not exactly agree with all the policies of the school and those who worked under these policies such as the Pillars, he wanted the safety of his students to be considered and did not want chaos in the already chaotic school. Making sure to record the meeting word for word so that Kit would be able to rebut inaccuracies in the speech of the boy known as Stern Mason. (as Kit had heard one of the spectators call him) Though Kit was not the best in speaking english, he had a plan to broadcast this meeting to the rest of the student population without him attempting to speak the english. When the meeting had ended, Kit dropped from the tree silently and dashed through the bushes and shrubs away from the direction most people were leaving in, to avoid detection.

OOC: Thread that I have written that connects from here can be found here.

[Zeniro]

'I have a job for you Zeniro, something that may require you deal wth some trash to accomplish, but it could be rewarding in the long run. I can't do it myself, and most people think your just muscle anyway. Find Shuya, and ask him if I was still willing to meet his terms, if he'd agree to the bargain we made long ago.'

Zeniro stood silently as he watched Stern. He listened closely to what the charismatic young orator had to say and then he began to nod slowly. The task to find Shuya would be a relatively easy one. Zeniro was like a blood hound when it came to pursuing people. He would find this Shuya and then he would relay Stern's message to him. The fact Zeniro had never heard the name mentioned before did not trouble him, there were always aspects of Stern's plans that he did not know about. Like Stern, Zeniro preffered it this way. Zeniro knew what he had to know and it was as simple as that. There was however one nagging question at the back of the Maori's mind...Zeniro spoke quietly but clearly making sure Stern was the only one to hear what he had to say.

"And if they don't agree to the bargain?"

Zeniro's dark eyes settled firmly on Masons face now. He waited for their response. Once it was given he would walk away and do his duty. On the walk he would consider either dropping his large dog home...or taking it with him as a means of extortion. There were some people who were stupid enough to withhold information when Zeniro was alone. Often once Zeniro was finished extracting the desired information the person was either unconcious or so severly beaten that they were unable to talk. Often he found that the mere threat of unleashing Ozaris was enough to make anyone talk. Zeniro smiled inwardly....he hoped there would be a few stupid enough to deny him information.

[stern]

"Sorry, you won't be able to have your fun this time.....bargains or not, he will be useful to me. All people usually are......"

Stern knew it would be disappointing news to hear, but he made a mental not that if it were necessary he would let Zeniro indulge his desires at a later date. After that thought, he knew that he was speaking the obvious to Zeniro. Zeniro would be the worse character witness Stern could ask for, be he knew how deep Stern manipulation often went.

~Perhaps that's why he decided to work with me, he wanted honest orders, no matter where they led him.~