Thread: Rekindle the Flame (Razgriz x Umbrale)

It was a story that was told for generations. And honestly, it had been so long that hardly anyone remembered a time when they were separate. History called them the first aliens, but to the modern era they were simply known as 'Mamono'. Strange humanoid creatures possessing great intellect, strength and for some Incredible powers. Some could phase through solid matter, some could transfigure their bodies into any shape they chose and others still were oddly reminiscent of creatures referred to in the religious texts of the world. Of course, the real history was far less glorious. Up until about five hundred years ago, the Mamono subspecies were as far removed from humans as possible early humans thought them predators, demons even...Creatures to be shunned and in many instances, destroyed. There were the few that saw past the bigotry and recognized them as friendly however, many took any means necessary to rid the world of them. However, once they started to show the Terran race how useful they could be - along with the general desire to form peaceful relationships - resistance to integrating them began to wane. It was a long process, much like human history in general, but now that the year 2000 AD was here and gone by fifteen years, they were a globally recognized group. One that could work and live anywhere, subject to the same boons and banes as every other human they lived with and next to. July 1, 2015. San Francisco branch of Boen, Shoenecer, and King PLLC The office was aflutter with activity, lawyers and administrators of all classes typing away at emails to send to various other parties. Judges, opposing attorneys, clients, the list went on. A particularly gifted 'Gazer' perused several different case files at once, her multitude of prehensile eye-stalks capable of feeding massive amounts of information, her lithe figure dressed in a red business suit with an equally red necktie, while coworkers - a short blonde-haired female human and a stocky male in black suits similar to that of the Gazer - worked a separate pile and helped reference relevant case details. A Hakutaku was surrounded by a throng of onlookers, asking her insight into various precedents and herself firing off answers without so much as breaking a sweat, her dainty digits occasionally adjusting the square-rimmed spectacles on her heart-shaped face. And off in another corner sat one of the rising stars of the firm, Scott Hanley . One new division that the branch took on as a means to garner business was a practice involving discrimination against Mamono in the workplace and places of public service. By and large they were more durable than their human counterparts, leading employers to be less stringent about safety requirements and in some unfortunate cases, workplace harassment. And though San Francisco had garnered a reputation as a city that was very generous to its metahuman residents, there was still plenty of work to be done in helping them. And Scott had kind of led the charge here, using his previous background as a work injury attorney and further back, a civil law paralegal to help make landmark cases in granting Mamono the same rights to a safe workplace as any human. As it was, he'd served about twelve years here, still very much a junior by most law firms' standards but he'd made a name for himself by representing Mamono clients against some of the largest firms in the Bay Area for the gross negligence it showed their employees. As it was, he was preparing a brief to submit to a defendant's lawyer when he was called into his supervisor's office. Pressing 'Save' and closing his laptop, he got up and after fixing the jacket of his business attire, made his way to where his boss sat. Unaware of exactly what was going to happen next... Two days later I can't believe I accepted this, Scott told himself as he got off the plane, having landed at John F. Kennedy airport. Truth be told, he was thrilled to be able to come back...And he was even given relocation assistance to his old neighborhood of Kensington! What were the odds? He was to go to the office in Buffalo and help spearhead some of the cases there, get the gears rolling in helping to turn the public service towards Mamono clients and make some news for themselves. But first, he would be given a few days to recuperate and settle back in....After all, he was - literally and metaphorically - home again. A thought that raced joyfully through his mind as his deep blue eyes stared at the roof of the taxi he currently rode in to think he would miss even this. He had wanted to get back to New York for a while now...And somehow he'd landed a promotion which meant he was here for the long haul. Fine by me, he thought...Though when he pulled up to where he was to be staying...He didn't think they would do this for him! Um, excuse me, is this the right place? he then asked the driver, a short-statured tan male in a white button-down and blue jeans, who just shrugged, How should I know? This is the address you gave me, remember? Scott just shrugged, giving the driver his fare plus a hearty tip - these guys did a lot in the city - and got out. It turned out it wasn't a townhouse, it was a very stylish apartment complex. And based on the sign, they also had Mamono guests. He'd read about it a little A small health club onsite, complete with sauna and sports courts, along with a pool and a recreation facility featuring games like billiards and table tennis. And the people he did see seemed to really enjoy living here, not that he would be around a lot of the time. But even so...A quite place to unwind after a long day was always good. A thought passed through his head about some of the tenants becoming future clients, one that made him smile as he made his way to the complex manager's office. Stopping to brush some stray threads of brown hair from his face, he then knocked on the door before being let in. Thank you for taking the time to see me I have the lease signed and filled out here, in case the digital copy didn't go through. he started to say, stopping to say, Oh, sorry, my manners are terrible. Scott Hanley, pleased to make your acquaintance....I'm sorry, what was your name?