Open The Soul Guard- "Genocide"

"No, I'm fine," Cedrick ignored the suited man's hand, kicking himself to his feet. "Let's not go just yet. I need to grab a thing or two. Besides, don't you have anyone to recruit? Anyone you know here?" Cedrick turned to walk back to his little fire, when he was met by a giant wall of flesh and the smell of cooking oils. "Ooooh, hey, Cookie..."

The big man smiled, and handed Cedrick his sword. "You'll need this I think." Cedrick nodded his thanks and strapped the sword to his back. "I know you want to come on whatever you're doing. I can't. I'm Cookie, remember? Gotta' feed everyone here come dinnertime." Cookie looked up at Smith and Maggie. "You two of his new little friends? Yeah, take care of him. He doesn't always know what's good for him."

"I happen to know what is very good for me. So now I'm ready to go. Magical, isn't it?" Cedrick looked around the camp for someone he might take along, but he had never socalized much. He bit his cheek, and decided there was no one. At least, not any more. "Well, fairy tale's done. I'm out."

"No I have been alone for as long as I can reacall," Smith said, "My agents are dead."

He pulled put the D. Eagle and reloaded it. He then slide it back in his coat pocket. He was done, now he was ready.


((that last post makes it feel like Zelda: "it's dangerous to go alone. Take this!"))

Monica whistled as she lingered outside. She narrowly avoided being thrown out by the guards, simply because she had the sense to leave immediately after the chairman dismissed the group. It was fun to think that there was a group who were going to go against the government. And why not participate herself? Obviously she had nowhere else to go.

With a hop to each step, she approached the group of Cedrick, Smith, and Maggie. "Hey, why don't you recruit me? I'm not particularly busy."

Runner, are you sure about this? You may die, and it would be troublesome to find myself another person as fast as you.

"Patience, Giletto. I'm sure this has its own rewards~" Monica thought back to her Guardian.

"I'm not exactly the social butterfly," making a butterfly-wing-like, hand-flapping motion on the word butterfly, "but I have my two swards, and my efficiency in running."

"This group is of adequate size, shall we go now?" Smith said then added, "Where shall we go first?"

He didn't speak much, he was trained to get a message across in few words. But was there a pout to this training anymore the agency was gone, he was free. Now he could use these emotions he locked away, but how to do that?he could think of only one way, love. But how to love, and who?

Cedrick raised an eyebrow at the request. "I guess. I have no problem with anyone joining, except maybe that guy one tent over from me who farts in his sleep." He looked at the other girl, who mentioned butterflies. "That's good. Butterflies aren't exactley adept fighters, eh?" Suits and Sunglasses crew was asking about the destination.

"I suggest we follow the council's advice. Blackwell would be our first stop. Wreak a little havoc on the Governor. Should be fun, right? Besides, I could use a trip home. See if they burned down my house or if my family never officially existed at all." Cedrick felt himself begin to slide into a sober state of mind, which is when he really started to ramble.

He forced himself back to a happier disposition. "So, Blackwell it is. Let's all make friends on the road." As he was turning to face west, he said, "My name's Cedrick. Ced works if you want to be less formal." With that out of the way, he stuck his thumbs in his pockets and began his walk to Blackwell. He didn't care much if any of them followed him, or if they followed the spook in the suit. Hell, they could follow the cry of a mildly distressed badger for all he cared.

"Name's Smith, Agent Smith," Smith said, "Lead on then Cedrick, I usually travel by phone, so I am no good in the matter of Directions."

(GAH, shortpostfail!!. God damm sleeping dog mummbles in sleep. Fail engish))

"Well, I'm Maggie. Um... not much to me. I used to swim, I parkour, and I fight. I've recently had weird dreams of chasing some purple... ghost-cheetah... thing..." Maggie felt awkward talking about dreams, but she may as well come out with it since they were going to be together for such a trip.

Cedrick turned his head to Smith first, simply nodding to acknowledge him. He never really fully trusted guys in suits, much less ones that were "Agents." Too close to politics in his opinion. He then turned to Maggie.

"Purple Cheetah? Hm. I... Sort of have similar experiences, though I wouldn't refer to them as 'Dreams,'" Cedrick touched his chin thoughtfully. "Except I'm fighting... I believe it was a hundred enemies. Each one gets progressively stronger as I continue through this maze. The pain seems so real, then I come back to reality, and there isn't a scratch on me. Well, one time a mosquito had bitten me, but that doesn't count."

I wonder... Is it just a random dream she's having? Or is it her Guardian? Does she even know what a Guardian is? She should, seeing as she was in this camp... Another voice poked through his thoughts.

"Well, I think it is. Usually, there's more than just a purple kitten in dreams. She probably knows exactly what it is. Maybe she just thinks you're too stupid to understand. If you finished my test, that wouldn't be an issue, would it?" The Guardian seemed to delight in these conversations. Cedrick had yet to earn his respect, and so could not ask him to shut up.

"Smith? You travel by phone? Sounds like it hurts. Do Cell Phones, by any chance, work for you?"

"Sometimes, if it is At&T, haha no but if they are withing good range of a tower," Smith said, "But that aside, I had a dream like that, except mine was a long hallway. I had to run to the other end, away from a huge serpent, but I had to dodge bullets and fire while running."

Smith felt funny confessing it, but to gain trust you must show trust.

"um, - Cedric, was it? - you look a little... Embarrassed. Or maybe flustered... Don't really know the difference. Anyways, something going on in your head?" Maggie just thought he looked... Off. Different than usual. He looks like he's having a one-sided mime conversation.

I'm not just in your dreams, Maggie.

"who are you? Where are you!?" Maggie said, not knowing the voice was internal.

Chill, babe. I'm just your Guardian.

"Ok. And don't call me babe! So you're this 'guardian' guy that we were told of in the camp.

Right you are, Jumpy. And I'm gonna keep calling you that. That parkour stuff is all jumps and grabs.

As Maggie realized her earlier blurt out, she blushed. "Um... Sorry. I think I may be scizophorenic. Or I just met my guardian. I've been alone long enough that it's a good 50-50."

Cedrick stared at Smith for a minute, wondering if this guy was a little different than other Guardian-adepts. "Yeah, Smith? You don't seem like the type to crack wise-ass remarks. I'd advise against it in the future." Then Maggie told him he was 'flustered.' He kept himself from getting offended.

"Uh, no, just what's-his-face butting into my conversations again." He heard her blurt out, and figured, Oh, this should be good.

She said she may have met her Guardian. "I thought that Cheetah might be it, but I wasn't exactly sure. The fact you can contact your Guardian without having to focus in or be in immediate danger is good. My master told me it means that you have a mutual agreement, be it official or unofficial. That agreement doesn't mean there's any amount of respect, though. You need to pass a 'test' of the Guardian's choosing. Your 'dreams' sound like your tests."

Cedrick looked up as he thought of something. "Wait... I thought the Council named five people... I think we're missing two. Never saw them, really, but... I think the council named me, Smith... Maggie, and then the two others... Something like," Cedrick took on a deep voice to mock the council. "Mr. Fox and Ms. Jingle-Berry." He brought his voice to its normal level. "So where are the buggers?"

((Jingle-berry PFF XD. Btw, is it nighttime or daytime?))
It was just like Monica to be late for everything. Especially when she was preparing for a presumably long trip. Monica knew what it was like to be out on extended periods of time, and she made sure to have enough to not starve, like she almost did multiple times.

"Blackwell, Blackwell..." Monica chimed to herself. Who names a place Blackwell anyhow? It sounds perfectly suspicious and sounds just like the place for shady business to be around. Monica knew the general direction of Blackwell, and assumed that those peculiar three would be somewhere in the road there.

Runner, you should hurry and meet those people. They sound incredibly interesting.

"Giletto, you just want some fun, isn't it?" Monica had her default expression of a cheery smile but her voice was very sarcastic.

Of course.

Monica could almost see her Guardian smile its trademark whale grin.

Without even thinking Monica realized she'd been running through the forest for quite awhile. She made little noise as she sped through the branches and leaves, and stopped every now and then to check for any other signs of life.

"Hello!" Monica yelled out while making a conscious effort to make it quiet enough so she didn't attract unwanted attention.

"Alright, anyone else feel the tenseness and awkwardness around here?" Maggie said. Offering words to the silence after Cedrick's comment.

I don't know about you, but I don't.

Yet again, this schizophorenic voice - she is yet to consider it a Guardian until he/she/it guards - keeps interrupting her thoughts and words.

"Ok, well, if you're going to be talking to me, can I at least get a name to call you, Speedy? Seeing how you Cheetahs are all about speed, thought I'd call ya that till I get a name for you." Maggie's thoughts were so tangled in Speedy's interruption that she almost didn't hear a somewhat faint "Hello" that was... Yelled? Screamed? Shouted? Spoken? Whispered? It was faint, yet loud... It was hard to figure out.

"Hey, uh, guys? Di either of you two stop bickering long enough to hear that voice? I know it wasn't the voice of this guardian dude in my head. But, it was faint, but... It seemed loud. Any comments?"

(It is still daytime)

Cedrick stopped at Maggie's comment, wondering if he and Smith had been bickering. "Well... Could be the trees, but I thought I heard something to..." Cedrick stared up at the leaves above him.

"Oi!" He shouted, glancing around for someone to answer. "You know," He continued to walk, looking at Maggie over his shoulder. "Could be one of the two missing here. Seems almost as likely as anything else. Not many people will go through these woods looking for anyone. At least, not this far in."

"I suppose this means you're going to be looking for someone, right? Maybe unsheathe your blade?" The Guardian prodded at Cedrick again.

I'd rather not. I would rather save my sword for soldiers. No sense getting anyone else's blood on it.

"Oi!"

Monica was startled, but she knew she was close by the group. Were they on the road? Probably, as Monica was certain that she was the only person around town who preferred to run around the forest. She ran hard towards the general direction of the sound, all the while shouting, "Anyone there?"

She could hear a few people conversing and knew she was right around the corner. Monica abruptly stopped and turned, but she tripped on the bushes, and tripped flat on her face into the road.

"Oww..." Monica rubbed her nose as her eyes watered from the pain. "Well at least I found the road..."

"Hey you hear that?" Smith said then thought he saw a girl, but it dissapeared so he turned away. Then she spoke and he turned to see her. He smiled, then turned back to the group

A girl very suddenly fell out of the bushes. Cedrick reflexively stepped back and put his hand on his sword hilt. It took a moment for him to realize, Wait, she doesn't seem hostile at all... He relaxed, letting go of the hilt, and noted out loud, "I think we may have found one." He crouched at eye level with the girl, elbows resting on his knees.

"That looked like it stung. Do you need help?" I wonder if this is Jingle-Berry... Er, whatever her name is... Then again, could just be someone who got lost on a hiking trail or camping trip... Or someone REALLY lost from the Blackwell Area.

Maggie ran over to the girl that she saw fall out of the bushes, and picked her up by under her arms. She pulled a napkin she had from the cafeteria and handed it to her.

"Here. Are you okay? What were you dong? Are you another the Council named!? Oh. Dammit. I didn't mean to be so nosey... Let's start with: are you okay?"

Yo, Jumpy, calm down. She'll be okay. good thing you had that napkin. Where'd ya get it? the familiar annoying voice of Speedy trying to make her "chill" again.

"Oh shut up already!? I was worried that she was very hurt. And I was hoping she was part of this little rag-tag group running straight for hell."

"That looked like it stung. Do you need help?"

"Gyeah..." Monica's nose was inflamed and she was having a hard time articulating, "I-I mwean, eet stwung. 'M awwight!"

Meanwhile, the girl she saw before in the camp sight gave her a napkin, which Monica received gratefully.

As Monica rubbed her nose with the napkin, the girl said, "Here. Are you okay? What were you dong? Are you another the Council named!? Oh. Dammit. I didn't mean to be so nosey... Let's start with: are you okay?"

While Monica finally adjusted to the pain, she replied, "'m really okway. Hahaha... Qwit a dramatic entwance, right?" Finally tidied off, Monica stood up and dusted herself off, while still holding onto her literally bloody nose.

"So, g'ong to Blackw'ull, I guess?"