Trading Gossip

[Blade]

Chris grinned, "Man, just how old are you?"

[Kiki]

She glowed a bit more. "Nigh twenty thousand. But I am young compared to some inhabitants of this city."

[Blade]

Chris nodded, "No wonder you practice such a savage system of honor."
Kelly added, "Savages, every one."

[Kiki]

She flushed hotly, extremely insulted. "Savage? Feh! You are more savage than I, fighting for your living. I live in peace and fight only when needbe. Fighting unnecessarily is savage. The times I grew up in were times of peace and tranquility. Fighting was only done when absolutely necessary."

[Blade]

"We fight, true. But through our fighting we bring peace. Besides, whenever you fought you probably killed your targets- at least we merely disorient our enemies for a while." Kelly shrugged, "Which makes us the intelligent and advanced beings."
"And we don't fight for no reason, either. And although it may look like chaos, it's planned out and perfectly..." She was going to say 'executed', but thought that wouldn't go over well, so instead said; "performed."

[Kiki]

"To take life merely for the sake of honor would have been a crime against Mother. As much as honor means to use, life is far more precious. We merely fought until we knew we could no longer go."

[Blade]

"Yet you still drew blood." Chirs argued, "Whereas those we defeat aren't harmed any more than loss of direction and muscular control."

[Kiki]

"Hand to hand. Never blades or other weapons. We tried to avoid as much as injury as possible."

[Blade]

Chris watched her carefully, then nodded at Jack. "And you call that avoiding injury? He'll be lucky if he ever has kids."
Kelly shook her head. "Regardless of your traditions, new and better technolegies and techniques are developing. We don't want to harm people, but sometimes we have to in order to protect the greater number. And in those cases, we don't see a need to be emotional over the losses."
Chris added, "And if we make money from protecting the greater number, then hey, it's worth it."

[Kiki]

"I hit where it hurt, but I did not harm his...delicates," she said. "We were trained in the ways of combat, but also the ways of anatomy. He has sustained injury, but it was a pressure point." She pressed a point behind his ear and he woke up. "We use pressure points more than anything."

[Blade]

Jack had women up, but was still woozy. Kelly cautiously dragged him away from Insyo as Chris covered her. The group still did not trust her further than they could throw her yet, and it showed.

[Kiki]

"You had best learn to trust me. My Master and my Mistress have instructed me to watch you carefully as long as you remain on this sacred land."

[Blade]

"We'll trust you when you prove yourself trustworthy." Chris snapped, "And attacking one of out people doesn't exactly do that, now does it?"

[Kiki]

"He should not have provoked me."

[Blade]

Kelly sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"It's not about what he should or should not have done. He's not the one earning the respect of a group of veteran fighters." Chris debated, "You are. So a couple tips for you; First, don't attack our people. And second, don't act high and mighty. Even if you are, constantly mentioning it only serves to annoy us and make us hate you. And if we hate you, we sure as the sun shines aren't going to follow your suggestions, be they from you or some obscure deity."

[Kiki]

"Pardon for the way I have acted. Until the town was built, I remained in the temple until the city was built to act as its guardian. I have only been in 'normal' society for as long as this city has been here, nigh seventy-five years. I am still used to the ways of my youth. For me, seventy-five years is but the blink of an eye in time and not very long for me to get used to a new way of life. I have adapted, but not learned to blend in. I also remain as this town's head priestess, communing with my Master and Mistress everyday. They guide and guard me, speaking to me whenever they need to. In short, I am still trying to learn to act 'normal'."

[Blade]

Chris sat down. "Well perhaps this assignment will do you some good, then. You can learn to be more normal, while still keeping an eye on us."
Kelly looked interested. "You mentioned you fight for honor, but why is that? I mean, you're a priestess. Aren't all preistesses supposed to be kind, peaceful monks in robes?" She began pacing, her mind continuing. "And yet your ability to dispatch Jack tells me you've been fighting most your life. So if a priestess, who are generally peaceful, can fight, why not a small band of normal people?" She stopped, "It seems to me we have a double standard."

[Kiki]

She smiled. "A very good question. True, we are generally peaceful, but we were some of the fiercest warriors at the time I grew up. Priests and priestesses were generally the teachers of fighting, swordplay, hand to hand or otherwise. It was considered essential for us to be able to defend ourselves because we were often the targets of attacks.

"I realize that did not fullly answer your question. I was merely giving background for you to understand some about my past." She looked at Kelly. "We are kind, but we must uphold the honor given to us by the gods. As for what I said about you being dishonorable, I meant that in the case of the Pokemon. Yes, they were harming the people, but you should have sought an alternate solution. I agree that you can fight to help others, but think It should not be done for profit. That is what I mainly consider dishonorable. I know you offer true help, but you only fight. You ought to seek alternate solutions when they are there."

[Blade]

"In the case of the pokemon," Kelly said, "We only shot the ones that came at us. So, one could say, it was their choice to fight that got them injured. We're not going to negotiate if it's obvious you mean us harm."

[Kiki]

"Have you any knowledge of magic?"

[Blade]

"None whatsoever." Chris said, "And neither do these two." She pointed at Kelly and Jack.

[Kiki]

"Around this city, you will be in trouble without it. Not legally, but because this is a mecca for magic users. This whole area resonates with magic from the temple. I can teach you about it." She looked at Chris. "As you can teach me to function in the 'normal' world, I can teach you to function in this scity. Your stun guns will not work on everyone in this area and you will have many challenges you have not faced before."

[Blade]

"Sounds fun." Chris commented, "I like new challenges."
Jack finally got up, "We all do."
"Exactly. We don't need magic. After all, our pulse guns have intensity controls, and so far we haven't had to go above three. It goes to nine, by the way."

[Kiki]

"You will at least need the knowledge. And I said some people will be immune, no matter how strong your pulse guns are."

[Blade]

"Although we don't like to," Chris said,
"We're not limited to pulse guns." Kelly finished the sentance.
Jack sighed, "Although there is a tactical advantage to hearing what we could wind up facing."
Both girls nodded.

[Kiki]

""Magic is far reaching and there are innumerable systems. I cannot tell you them all as I do not know them all, but I can tell you the one that is most common around these parts."

[Blade]

"I never said we'd listen." Jack told her, "At least not yet. What's the catch?"

[Kiki]

"There is none. My Master and Mistress told me to stay with you to watch over you. That is about the only 'catch' there is, but I have already told you that several times. Knowledge is meant to be exchanged freely."

[Blade]

"In my experience," Jack said, "There's always a catch. Everyone has some ulterior motive. It's always the ones who say they don't that are the most suspicious."

[Kiki]

"Upon my honor, my priestess vows, my life, Mother herself, I swear I have no other motive."