Description: On the streets of Sunshine City, there are just as many beasts as there are in the jungle. The difference is that they take a more cunning guise. Hunter is trying to understand how this city functions, and begins to get the feeling that she is being hunted just as surely as she was by Diesel. Turning this around, she is led into a trap and faces the indigenous wildlife. When 'saved' by Johann, the young woman seems to find some brief respite from the hardships of the city. But has she really just wandered deeper into the dragon's lair?
Sunshine City isn't really a bad place. Much like any other larger city it has nice parts and bad parts. In this case much like Metro City the bad parts in Sunshine are REALLY bad. Needless to say there is a good problem with crime in the outer parts of the city. Most of it comes from the Industrial District where several gangs hang out and cause trouble. They often venture out for various acts of crime. There are some places they avoid like the plague. The homeless shelter and Pupa's Workshop are two prime examples. They may be meddlesome, but they aren't totally stupid at the same point. No reason to gain the ire of Elias or Pupa.
And for a new person that is not used to the city life? Oh it can be very depressing and irritating at the same time. For someone like Hunter it cannot be the best place. She is a master of the jungles made of wood afterall, not concrete. Even so there is something that she could sense easily enough. She is trained at tracking and hunting. That is why she would often feel as if she is being watched and perhaps hunted herself.
Whoever it is that is watching is well skilled much like she is. Just when Hunter thinks she might catch sight of the person they are nowhere to be seen and always on the move. It must certainly make things feel even more stressful for a woman that is already badly out of her element. Maybe just maybe she will finally catch whoever is watching. There was a flash of movement. Someone ducking in an alleyway all too quickly. It is hard to make out if it was man or woman, but it was human. A rather slender and quick figure at that.
Hunter does not like the city so far. Her experience of it has been as a place thrumming with all the worst elements of humanity. People in her village had all known one another; had all been willing to help one another. Here, charity is regimented somehow. People seem to go out of their way not to know one another. And there are so many of them. Thousands. Tens of thousands. Hundreds of thousands, maybe? Like ants swarming around something sweet, they trample over one another in their haste to get to where they are going, to continue their work, regardless of who else might be pained by it.
Hunter has also learned what it is to be hunted, and she does not like that.
Her senses are just as sharp as ever, though. The fact that she is walking around heavily armed might not draw too many stares what with fighting being 'a thing' and all... but the fact she has drawn a wickedly sharp and viciously curved knife as she feels she is in danger, that, can't help to attract the wrong sort of attention.
Quickly and stealthily, the girl gives chase after the fleeing figure. Blade gripped tight, almost *expecting* ambush. This place is danger, she can practically taste it. She will not be caught unprepared.
The fact Hunter is so heavily armed in public is why the gangs haven't outright bothered her. Oh she could see the hungry stares for some groups thinking about jumping her. It just seems that overall they haven't had the spine to do it. Or in this case they have been told by their boss to leave her be for now. Apparently someone is curious about the misplaced warrior and he doesn't want to see her harmed. She might be able to take care of herself, but she might be hard pressed when in a battle with a whole gang or a at least a group of them coming after her. She doesn't know the terrain like she would out in the jungles. Traps may work to an extent, but this is their turf. They know the right way to corner someone if they wanted to.
She even dashes by a few on the streets that give catcalls and whistle despite the fact she has a rather vicious looking knife drawn. Maybe because they know she is after someone and they are amused at who might be the unfortunant soul? Who knows what street trash like this are really thinking. If anything the person she is in pursuit of is on another level than the clowns that litter the street. This person is quick and Hunter has a feeling they let themselves be seen just to tease the Thai warrior.
Hunter is lead through a bit of a maze of back streets and alleys before the trail starts to grow dead. No matter how fast she moves she just seems to end up lagging more and more behind. The last turn she comes around creates a problem too. Trashcans are knocked over and what was once a cat is being sort of torn about by two rather large and mangy dogs. There isn't much left and they seem to be fighting over the bones mostly. That is until they catch the scent of something more fresh.
Two heads turn towards Hunter. A mixture of blood and saliva drop from each feral beast as they growl and look towards the woman with the knife. They seem to still be hungry. Hungry enough they also don't seem to be scared by the human or the knife she wields.
COMBATSYS: Scruffy has started a fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
COMBATSYS: Blankets has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Blankets
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
Hunter is fast. But she's used to running through the mud and the dirt, through the slippery ground, fighting every inch. Her feet feel odd on this gripping terrain. Not uneven enough, ironically, for her to feel at home. By the time she is passing the thugs, though, she's starting to get better. She shuts them out of her mind. They aren't important; they are just idiots. The world, particularly the city, is full of idiots. Whilst she could pause to intimidate them or do something horrible to them, they are not following her; they are not a threat.
The faster she goes the more obvious it becomes that she is being led into a trap. The smell of blood reaches her nose faster than anything else; animal blood, she realizes, and, when she sees the large animals, she narrows her eyes. So that would be it, then. Dogs are not, generally, much of a threat. She's hunted wilder game. But... she's hunted wilder game on her turf, by her rules. Only a fool discounts that. Even the most innocuous animal could become deadly when cornered, or when their territory is violated.
Instantly, Hunter comes up short. The knife is lowered. Her eyes go down, and she starts to step backwards carefully. She doesn't say a word, she does not make eye contact. Every inch of body language says that she is backing off... whilst in truth, she prepares herself for the expected attack as much as she can. She's probably gone too far already, and those animals look... almost rabid.
COMBATSYS: Hunter has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Hunter 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blankets
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
Rabid, hungry and above all things looking rather fearless. A fool can figure out that these beasts aren't being incited by someone coming into their territory. They are still looking for food and a living, breathing creature looks much more appetizing than any sort of garbage they might find or the stringy meat left on the remnants of the mostly devoured cat. Backing up is a good plan only because it gives her more space to operate, but then again a wall behind her is fast approaching and she only has an option to dash left and try to perhaps outrun the beasts.
She will have to be quick because both dogs are quick to already break into a run. They bark loudly and in the distance more barking can be heard. Are they part of some feral pack? Dogs scrouging the worst part of the cities? Beasts that have fed on discarded corpses that people wished to have disappear? Just how many more might be on their way?
For now she has these two to worry about. The first coming in low and looking to go for the legs, large paws reaching outwards to drag down and scratch at the flesh. The other one jumps forward and up going for the kill right away. Feral they might be it seems like they have perhaps attacked people before because it is goign right for the throat to clamp down its powerful jaws.
COMBATSYS: Hunter dodges Scruffy's Go For the Throat.
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Hunter 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blankets
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
COMBATSYS: Hunter dodges Blankets' Claw Flurry.
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Hunter 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blankets
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
Hunter is very fast when she wants to be. Right now, she very much wants to be. Ducking down low, she slides to the side as the pair of animals come in at her, and furiously assault the place she had just been. Sliding into the dirt and the grime, it is not, perhaps, her finest moment. But on the other hand, what is she going to do? She's certainly not going to be bitten by those mangy animals if she can help it.
Nor does she much like the idea of continuing to fight at close range. The knife is hurled at the back of the animal which went for her throat, whilst she herself backs off and draws her bow. It isn't perfect, these conditions are relatively cramped and uncomfortable, but she isn't sure she can run. If she's lucky, she should be able to deal with a pair of *dogs* relatively easily anyway, shouldn't she?
COMBATSYS: Scruffy blocks Hunter's Thrown Object.
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Hunter 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blankets
> /////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
A pair might not be so bad, but at the same time if that pair starts to become a pack things could become very bad for Hunter. At least with people there is a change to perhaps reason with the, but when dealing with an animal that has gone wild there aren't many options other than to get away, kill or be killed. The barking can still be heard in the distance too. It is hard to tell how many more might be coming. At best guess maybe three or four. Numbers like that in such an enclosed space can't be something she wants to deal with. Maybe even something she can't deal with. She might very well be overwhelmed.
She won't have too much time to think about how many are still coming. The two that are here now are still a danger. The one the knife is thown lands and then there is a yelp when the knife clips it along the back, but the damage seems minimal. If anything she may have just annoyed it further. Both of them are looking to swarm her and their mouths snap at limbs. Just trying to get something like a leg or a hand in their maw.
COMBATSYS: Hunter dodges Scruffy's Light Kick.
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Hunter 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blankets
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
COMBATSYS: Blankets successfully hits Hunter with Light Kick.
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Hunter 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Blankets
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
Hunter dodges out of the way of the first set of snapping jaws. The second, though... that one actually manages to graze her. Briefly, her leg is bitten by those squeezing teeth. She can hear more coming, and the fact that the knife was a mere clip rather than an outright killing shot irritates her. She's definitely going to need to finish this quickly.
She needs to get control back. She needs to turn her situation around.
Irritated, she turns, and runs. The light graze her thigh has taken hasn't slowed her down too much... but what she's actually doing, is trying to lead the animal who had bitten her into a trap. As she's running, she's spooling wire out behind her... and if she can find the right moment, she'll suddenly loop it back up and around, aiming to catch the running mutt and fling him up into the air; the wire somehow having found purchase on a windowledge above.
COMBATSYS: Blankets Toughs Out Hunter's Snare Trap!
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Hunter 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Blankets
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
In running she is also saved from having to deal with others so much sooner. It seems she is moving away from them faster than they are catching up. The beasts have keen ears and the barking and growling from the two giving chase probably help them keep pace to eventually catch up. These beasts are tenacious and they aren't seem to given up even as their prety runs from them. They caught her once so they can catch her again.
Even the trap may not do as intended. So many beasts have been felled by that tactic before, yet the dogs that give chase seem to handle things well. One isn't even caught for obvious reasons that it was not the one the trap was meant for. If she had intended to kill the second or at least hamper it badly it seems like she is out of luck. It is snagged and it is flung off it's paws, but the wire seems to snap. Or was there a flash of a blade of a knife being thrown to cut it? All Hunter might notice is that both dogs are still coming right at her and she is not down to one like she hoped as they leap pat and attempt to drive her to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Hunter parries Scruffy's Pack Tactics!
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Hunter 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Blankets
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|=------\-------\0 Scruffy
COMBATSYS: Hunter interrupts Pack Tactics from Blankets with Flaming Arrow EX.
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Hunter 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Blankets
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|=------\-------\0 Scruffy
Hunter is annoyed. Obviously her time in hospital has dulled her senses more than she would have expected. She doesn't seem certain of anything... but is that so surprising in this totally unfamiliar landscape? Even her eyes are playing tricks on her, and that is a situation she does not want to be in.
The dog which had not been snared, however briefly, unsurprisingly leads the way. She sees it coming, and, at the last moment, her foot is finding the creature's head, bringing herself up and over him in his frantic assault.
The second of course, is not far behind, and she had seen this coming too. The drawstring of her bow is pulled back, despite the lack of an arrow, and the beast's maw closes down around the hand grasping her bow. Teeth worry at the leather glove she wears, but this just seems to make the girl's eye glint more.
Just as planned.
Bright fire licks up between the creature's lips, and the dog finds itself being speared internally by a bright, lancing bolt of flame. Fire is the natural fear of most animals, and although this sudden counteroffensive has stopped her flight away... it has also put Hunter back on top.
She is no mere prey to be dragged through the streets and brought low in some back alley.
She is a Hunter.
The first of the dogs skitters across the ground and tries to regain it's footing and turn about when Hunter uses it for a platform to leap upwards and over it to meet with the second dog. Once again the second dog finds its teeth sink into the human only to mostly gnaw at the gloved hand. That is until it lets out a loud yelp when the flame ignites and spears through the beast and knocks it back. It rolls about while yelping several times in pain. If is hurt, but once again it is not seemed to be in danger of being killed at the moment. These animals seem to be especially tough even compared to some of the strong prey that Hunter has had to take down.
The unaffected dog seems to not be too intimidated despite what just happened to its partner in crime. It is look to sink its jaws right into the calf of the woman's left leg while the other dog seems to finally be regaining its wits. It looks injured, but not ready to run away. The sound of the other dogs is start to grow louder as the now injured dog leaps up and attempts to bowl Hunter over once more. They look like they are not going to give up easily.
COMBATSYS: Hunter parries Scruffy's Bite!
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Hunter 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Blankets
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|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
COMBATSYS: Hunter dodges Blankets' Furious Charge.
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Hunter 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Blankets
> ////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
Hunter is completely aware of every inch of the terrain around her. It is this talent which she has honed over years in the jungle. Even here, it continues to serve her well. The beast that had been used before attempts to regain some dignity by biting her again... and once again it is turned against it.
Her foot finds its head, and she leaps backwards from it. She can hear the other dogs coming, and she has no wish to stay here any more.
So she doesn't.
The Thai warrior comes down with a viciously barbed net leading the way. She has picked the dog who will be dying first, it seems, as the one still smouldering is targeted. Another knife lashes viciously out with the momentum used from her descent, but she doesn't try to recover it. Just stick it in the animal, and, as the net tangles in closed, run.
"I've met less stubborn tigers." She mutters angrily to herself, as she sprints (hopefully dragging the captured beast with her, until it can burst the net). "What could have driven you so mad?"
COMBATSYS: Blankets fails to interrupt Hunting Net EX from Hunter with Bestial Rage.
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Hunter 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Blankets
> ////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Scruffy
In a place like this? It is hard to tell what these dogs have been through. They probably all have to fight to survive and the pack like mentality it seems they have developed from the fact they could take down tougher prey in groups. The fact they attack Hunter like so probably means she isn't the first human they have attacked before. Perhaps even more so she isn't the first one to put up a fight. The already injured dog is a bit slower, but not any less vicious. Even as that net starts to ensnare it the dog looked to still be attempting to go right for the woman's throat before it is caught and lets out another yelp.
It is dragged about before it finally manages to get loose. It is bleeding badly and limping. It growls low as the other dog walks alongside with it. They look ready to lunge again when there is a sound of a gun being discharged and both beasts are startled. They scramble about and the barking from the distance seems to stop momentarily. Stillg rowling the two beasts start to back away and then turn about to break away and run off into the alleys.
"Filthy animals." comes a voice not too far away. Wait, when did someone get so close? Did Hunter let herself get so distracted she couldn't hear approaching footsteps until now. "Someone there? Are you okay?" he voice calls out again as it seems to draw nearer.
The figure it belongs to is a rather tall man with red hair. He is well dressed in a black business suit and holding a pistol out in the direction of where the dogs ran. He does glance down the alley where Hunter is and he raises a brow as if being actually surprised at the sight of Hunter. "Well now. Are you okay, madam?"
COMBATSYS: Scruffy has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Hunter 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Blankets
COMBATSYS: Blankets has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hunter 0/-------/=======|
Hunter rounds on the sound of gunfire in a manner rather animalistic fashion herself. An arrow is strung into her bow, pointing in the direction that the bullet came from. She can't help it; instinct is a strong thing, and instinct sharpened by life or death experiences far stronger still. But the world does not erupt into gunfire. Attack helicopters do not descend. The mad laughter of Shadaloo generals does ring in her ears, but it is just a phantasm. A trick of the mind. She shakes her head.
No matter what the case, it does still take her a few seconds to come back to herself. Now that she is not in immediate danger, she is allowed this luxury. Her eyes flicker up to take in the man who had, apparently, saved her, and she nods her head. The arrow is lowered, the bow soon sliding back onto her shoulders.
"I'd have given my right arm for dogs that tough to train back home." She says, as though this is an explanation. Though her leg is a little scratched, and her knuckles a bit bruised, she is certainly not seriously hurt. "I was not expecting wild beasts in the city. Just stupid criminals."
The young man starts to put away his gun even before the bow is lowered. He seems rather calm and confident of the situation despite there was an arrow aimed his way at first. He smiles as he gives a nod and looks over the woman just to be sure she isn't too hurt. "Sadly there are alot of dangerous things around this city if you stray too far. Both man and beast." he tells her in response and he keeps his distance. It looks like he doing his best not to make her feel uncomfortable. "I am just glad to be in the area on the way home. There have been a few deaths linked to a pack of dogs that no one has been able to capture or kill."
He then pauses a moment then ohs! "And how rude of me not to introduce myself!" he says and rests a hand on his chest as he gives a small bow. "I'm Johann. I run several charities and business in this city to help stop problems such as what you encountered. I am sorry youhad to deal with that." he really seems out of place for this area and peraps out of all the people in this town he actually have any sort of manners. The fact he seems so calm and nonchalant about things makes it a bit more easy to relax around him as well. "And judging by your appearance I assume you are not from around town, hmm?"
Hunter isn't much of one for manners most of the time, but Johann has apparently saved her. The young woman nods her head in turn, and straightens herself up as she recovers her composure. The girl seems to consider what was just said rather seriously, and then she turns her attention back to the buildings. Noting roofs, various coverage of alleys and where these things may need to be tracked from.
"Can't have predators that don't respect people." She says, seriously. "If they get the taste for people, you need to hunt them down. Exterminate them." She turns her attention back to the very well dressed man. Perhaps if she knew the city better, she might be able to determine a little more about how he doesn't fit in.
Instead, she shrugs. "I am ... Thai." She says, which is as close to a hometown as he is going to get out of her. "Hunter. If you want, I will help you take care of this ... dog problem."
That uneasy feeling from earlier is gone at least. No one seems to be watching her for now at least. Perhaps they too were scared away by the Italian that is standing with her. "Thai....hmm. I heard you were pretty badly hit recently." That might be a understatement. Then again the man obviously hasn't been to Thailand. At least not since the war started. It isn't exactly like tourists should be flocking there or wil lbe any time soon. "They are one of the countries I am trying to raise money for to help out." he says with a smile and he motions for Hunter to walk with him as he starts to exit the alley and start making his way back towards the street.
"Come now. No reason to stand here now. It is getting late and things can get more dangerous even for someone taht seems skilled such as yourself." He clasps his gloved hands behind his back as he seems to walk like a man with nobel upbringing. He is straight and seems unafraid of things. Then again even if the suit hides most of his physique he looks like he might be big enough to handle himself just fine. Or maybe he is just that comforted by having a gun on him. "The dogs? Oh the police are working on that. I am just a concerned citizen." he replies while giving a bit of a chuckle. "Do you have a place to stay while you are here? I can perhaps help with that."
Hunter's expression freezes. Although she had heard everything that Johann had said, it is some moments before she can bring herself to move again. Her expression is entirely blank, her eyes staring into the middle distance, that point which is not a point. Her shoulders hang. Had Thailand been hit hard? Yes. She'd failed them all, in the end. Retreated, and allowed herself to be extracted to... to safety. Disgusting.
"They're not all dead." Its about the only thing she can think to say, and even she isn't sure whether she means everyone in Thailand, or the people who had been doing the killing. Her voice sounds like it is coming from a long way away, and despite Johann's kindness, it is hard to convince herself he isn't one of them.
"I don't like guns." She continues, quietly, though she follows the man regardless. One foot in front of the other. That's the trick. "Friends gave me somewhere." She continues. "I'm looking for somewhere more... my own. I don't like charity, either." She realizes, then, that she might sound ungrateful, and she quickly adds. "Not that I dislike it in theory. But. Not for me. I'm, on my own."
There is a faint nod as he listens and he looks thoughtful. "Do not like guns? Very well." he reaches to extract the six shooter he was holding. A few moments later the bullets are being emptied into his hand and he pockets them before looking to bend the barrel of the pistol to make it unusable. It does seem that the man indeed has quite a bit of strength. "Than I shall not use one." he tells her and idly tosses it in a dumpster when he passes by. "And I am glad to hear the rest of the Thai people aren't all dead. I am sure you will all will rebuild and recover. I hope everyone does." He seems sincere in what he says at least. The smile doesn't seem to be fake at all.
"Now not liking charity....hmm." he ponders some more and that smile returns to his face. "Well I could offer a proposal. I have men that know their way around town, but the gangs around here do give them trouble. Would you perhaps like to help me? I could pay you and provide you with a room and in return you won't be getting 'charity' as you put it." he doesn't seem to take offense at the fact some of her words did come off ungrateful. In fact he seems more amused than anything. "It would be honest work and you will be accordingly. On top of that you can be shown around town and people shall help you get acclimated if you intend to stay for awhile."
Bending the barrel of the gun wasn't strictly necessary, but it does seem to have done the trick and has Hunter's attention. Not just because Johann is apparently willing to disarm himself on her preference... but because he'd done so in such an impressive fashion. Brute force isn't her forte, and she's fairly certain that whilst she might be able to cut through a gun with some effort... there's no way she could bend steel like that.
"Gangsters do not trouble me." She says, which is factually correct. She obviously considers low-life street scum to be beneath her. The idea of taking money and working rather than living off the land... is a strange one, but she'd already proven that living off the streets is not a pleasant (or even possible) alternative.
And Johann is not a soldier. That's one point in his favor as opposed to the Ikari.
"I don't intend to go home." She says at last, though she offers not a hint as to her reasons why. Her, fears. "So I will be here some time. I will help you. For as long as I stay."
The way he is so casual about showing that strength too. It looks like he wasn't doing it to impress. He really doesn't seem to have much of a care in the world despite being in a rather chaotic part of town. There is probably a reason why he doesn't have a bodyguard with him. Amazing how it seems the gangers that seem to roam the area are also remaining well hidden. Hunter can tell they are around, but they are doing well at keeping out of site and the pair are being given a wide berth.
He seems genuinely happen when told she would help him. "Really? I am glad to hear. The city can be tough for people not used it. We will try to make your stay here as painless as possible. All you will need to do is help with cargo transport and delivery. I am sure there won't be trouble with someone like you helping us out." He motions to a car where a well dressed man is standing near the the driver's side door. One that looks rather big and not someone to be messed with either. So maybe Johann does have a bodyguard. "Please join me. We ill make sure any marks you got from those dogs are treated properly and we will get you a room to stay in."
Log created on 17:39:09 03/19/2012 by Hunter, and last modified on 08:11:07 03/20/2012.