((You've done just fine, Cora ;)! ))

As Raine's new piece of file took it's place in it's folder by the hand of the slightly better faring golem that was in charge of the archives, the typewriter wrote the same question it wrote of it's strange red ink on yet another yellowed page, this time addressed to Aydan. It asked about his equipment, plans for the future, ambitions as well as his strenghts and witnesses. It also asked if anything was holding him back, and what he would be ready to do to take care of it.

Aydan looked around the room once more, noting everyone that was there, mainly seeing that Akira was there, he gave her a small smile and waved at her before he made his way over to the type writer, reading what was on the page a couple of times before he popped his knuckles before he began to type.

I have a couple of candles almost forty matches, um the clothes i came here in, i found clothes for a male adult in my room and am currently wearing the shoes and socks i found for my feet. Ummm.....I have things in my room to eat and drink with, i have a pen and some ink and some paper in my room also. Ummm......before i went to the orphanage i used to be on the street with my baby sister, stealing from stalls and begging for food and money and finding places to live at and to get out of the weather and cold. So i guess that would be my strengths but i am not that good at any of it. I want to learn everything that i can and be the best in everything that i can be, the only weakness i can think of that i have is my blind eye and my ocd that tends to make me go to the same places some times.......I think that is about it but i guess i will find out if i have to put more in a moment.

He finished typing on the typewriter, you could hear the clacking as he typed furiously on the keyboard for a few more minutes, leaving his name on it before he moved away and went back to leaning on his little spot on the wall. "What now?" he asked simply, he had a feeling that he had left a few things out and that he would have to go back and type some more on the keyboard, he couldn't really answer all the questions considering he lived in the here and now.

The completed file endured the same fate as it's predecessors, the golem barking Akira's name for her to take her place on the now free typewriter and apparently eager to get down to business and get it all over and done with. A few chunks of the putrescent flesh wrapped around the two golems in the room now seemed to fester, the stench getting more and more unbearable in the small room as the time did go on.

Hearing her name, she went to type on the typewriter. Reading what it asked of her, she almost sighed. More translating. Thinking, she eventually began to write down, as the others had, her information. I know how to pickpocket and lie my way out of some situations. I would like learn how to be more able to speak and write english. It is not my first langage. Also want to know how to be good at stealing more things, to survive. I have a few things in my room. A soap, oil I got, lamps, bucket, sponge, and some new shoes and lace. Also got a room thanks to another person here. My weakness is that I am not so good at english yet, other than that... is liking fire, too much of a weakness? Accidentally burned part of my home.

Once she finished, she glanced at the golems, unsure she had done it right.

As Akira stepped back to the bunk and her latest file was put away, the golem who was previously in charge of the folders stepped forward, the damaged golem stepping back in the shadows to let it speak.

“You will now step out of this room and go find one to your liking nearby. The doors will now unlock,” with those whispered words, the heavy groaning of hinges and sliding of metallic gates filled the air for a few moments, “gaining you access to a few of our vessels. They will instruct you from there. You are dismissed.” After the last of the whispered echoes filled the air, the golem slipped into the deep shadows like it's counterpart.

The orphans were once again on their own.

Raine nodded her head that she understood what she was told to do and slowly made her way from the bunk bed towards the door without very much as a look back at the other children. What did she care what they did really? They weren't all bad, not really but some of them really got under her skin. When she stepped out into the hall she looked both ways, the doors where unlocked now? She had heard them hadn't she? She thought about it for only a brief moment before heading left down the no longer unfamiliar corridor.

Find a room? Well that seemed like a common theme. She passed by many doors and wondered which one she should open. Finally she settled on one and placed her hand on the door knob. Taking one solid deep breath she pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dark, as was expected. What wasn't expected, however, was the strange lightly glowing contraption made of glass and metal, forming a tube holding another golem, this one far less rotten looking and hooked with many wire glowing with a stage light. Whatever this machine was, it seemed to keep the golem in a stasis of sort, preventing it from rusting and decaying.

No sooner as the girl entered the door leading to the exit started to close and the golem seemed to be brought back to "life", twitching a first as it was once more possessed. After a few minutes that seemed like eternity to the terrified girl, the glass and wires seemed to shimmer out of existence, letting the now operational golem step forth to the middle of the room.

It smelled far better than the rotting ones in the small cell and nearly seemed human beside the lack of anything beside a basic human shape and the various fresh scars mapping it's naked body. As it spoke, it's voice was more pleasant as well, though it's multi-layered nature seemed even more pronounced without the grinding and screeching sounds of it's counterparts.

"Raine, you will first demonstrate us your ability to various basic skills, afterwards we will guide you into using them more efficiently. When we will be confident you have a basic grasp of our most basic skills, you will be asked to go forth to the surrounding village or even the city to earn your keep. Is that understood?" It asked, it's non-existent stare burrowing deep into the girl's soul.

Raine shivered slightly much to her dismay, she hated to show weakness of any sort. Something about the discovery of the animation of the golem brought chills to deep in her bones. Well, at least this one doesn't smell she thought to herself. She listened to the golems words and nodded her head enough to show she understood. She then waited, with fear running through her mind but not on her face, for further instructions.

The golem nodded once, it's lack of feature preventing Raine from reading anything from it's frozen visage.

"Good," is said, it's tone soft as the breeze running through the corridors outside, "You will first show me how you would beg for money and food, as this is the most basic skill of all for one such as ourselves. You may do so in anyway you choose, but please note that creativity and wits are your best friends in this endeavour." It's speech finished for now, the golem stilled, now looking as lifeless as any statues Raine had even seen.

Akira frowned once they had been left alone. Glancing back at the others, she offered a small smile. it seemed, for now, they would all have to wait to get to know each other. Somehow, she really didn't want to upset the, things. Giving a small nod, she set out, once again, down the halls. Seeing that the other girl pick a room at random, she went to one a little further down the hall and opened the door cautiously.

She hoped they just hadn't meant a room to sleep in. She preferred the other room from last night.

She thought about this, begging for food. Her entire life had been about begging for food before the orphanage had found her, but that was before. She placed a few fingers on the scar that shown ever so slightly on her neck. She though, well, what the hell. Might as well do the thing without your voice. You've learned to survive for this long. She was suddenly grateful for the tatters in her dress and the dirt on her hands and face. She fell to her knees and looked up at the golem with eyes that glistened just ever so slightly. Memories, it had brought back memories of after her mother died. The tears at least, though she was not about to tell anyone this, where almost real. She crouched, her hands over her stomach, a sign of hunger. But she continued to look up with those glossy pleading eyes.

Akira walked into a big, dark cell half filled by slowly retreating wires, retracting metal and draining viscous liquid with what seemed another golem at it's centre. A few seconds tickled by, the space occupied by the strangely glowing machinery shrinking to barely three foot in diameter. A few minutes later and the contraption was no more and the new golem stood in it's place, staring down at the young girl. It smelled of blood, oil, metal and a strange and unknown scent, a far cry better than the rotting smell of it's older kin.

As soon as it was free from the last wire, the golem spoke; "Welcome, Akira. We will now commence your practical training. You will show us how you would go about exercising various skills and we will then give you ways to better them. When we will be satisfied by your performance, you will be free to go to the city or the various neighbouring villages to earn your keep and therefore make you first step into flourishing into a worthy candidate for our organization. Is this understood?" The creature said in a smooth, rough and soft voice, the various type of voice not quite merging together.

---------- Post added 06-24-2012 at 03:28 PM ----------

"That is sufficient, for now," the creature said to Raine, "but you may want to fake injuries for better success in the future. Now, show us your skills as a pickpocket. You will first be asked to steal this pen from this messenger's satchel that I will wear on my person. Try to distract me as you do so." As it said this, it pulled a leather satchel and a fine fountain pen from some dark crevice and proceeded to hang the satchel on it's shoulder after putting the pen inside it, closing the satchel's brass clasp afterwards and going still once more.

((I didn't realize you had responded, sorry))

Theft, that had never been the strong point of Raine's, but she had to try. She contemplated the situation, how to do the thing. Distraction it had said, alright....she would try distraction. She didn't really want to have to touch the creature, but what better way did she know without her voice. She ran across the room and ran into the golem not quite full force, but enough to distract....she hoped. Without her voice she made a big effort of getting up in an attempt of anger, pretending to be mad at the golem, acting like it was his fault they collided. In the confusion she made an attempt to steal the pen. She only hoped it would work.

The golem sighed. "That may have worked if you were after something we had in our hands. The best way would have been to find a way to either stay by our side to unclasp and them rummage through our satchel without being seen or use a knife to rip it without drawing attention to yourself and use the pretext of helping us to pick up the ensuing mess to snatch the pen. Now, try again," it said, this time pacing through the room and pretending to look down various stall displays.

Rip the Bag? She thought to herself, it seemed so obvious to her once the golem had said it. She took a deep calming breath and began to search her pockets planning her move. Her hand clasped over the sharp stone. It wasn't the optimal choice, but at least it was something. She crept towards the golem quiet as a mouse until she was next to it. She pretended to look at the display as well. While her one hand crept towards the bottom of the bag and poked enough of a hole to cause the contents to rip it further and fall out.

She gave the golem a look of shock and started to help clean the contents. All the while slipping the pen and rock back into her pocket. She looked at the golem as if to say, Is that better?

Nathanial nodded glad to finally be able to leave the small crowded room and the stench of the rotting golems behind. Like Raine he barely gave the other children a look before leaving the room. The boy had many other things on his mind to be too concerned about the others right now. Once in the corridor he looked left and then right. It seemed the two girls who left before him went to the left so instead he went to the right. He walked down the hall doing his best not to limp because of his knee which still bothered him. Half way down he stopped, turning towards a door. This room would do he thought as he placed his hand on the knob and turned it. The young boy entered the room slowly, unsure of what he would find inside.

Like all the other children, he didn't look at the others as he left the room, glad to be free from the smell just as much as the next person, he watched as the other children went their separate ways, he watched as they moved to their room that they chose, he sighed, giving a yawn before he moved to the right also, going to the next free room that he could find. He looked around with his one good eye, thinking for a few minutes as he yawned once more, wondering what room he had come into and what was going to happen next.

"Keep in mind that the overall state of the targeted container as well as it's owner's awareness may make this method very risky indeed. But for now this is acceptable, Raine." The golem seemed satisfied as it picked up a needle and thread from another crevice to repair the damage done to it's satchel.

"You will now attempt to rob us of our possessions. Put a decent show of attempting to threaten me, if you please." At this the creature seemed nearly bored, clearly not expecting much of the next turn of events.

Threaten? The Golem!? Clearly she was having doubts about her ability to do this, but she had to try. She thought about this, and about the golem in front of her. How to achieve this feat. First she tossled her hair a bit to give her a more wild child look. This she hoped, without much hope, would help her cause. She pulled the rock from her pocket and with the small grunt of a noise she was capable of she lunged at the golem and held the rock at what she presumed was its throat.

She attempted to appear wild and crazy, trying not to let the feelings of fear show on her face. However, she could not be sure that they where not there.

((My-my-my Pharaoh's Throne~ <3))

Both boys were greeted by the imposing sight of an awakening golem, wrapped in wires and a mysterious liquid and cradled in glass and metal that were slowly disappearing from existence. The sight combined by the scent of blood, metal, dust and a strangely medicinal aroma made the whole scene quite unsettling, though the boys could not pinpoint the exact source of this feeling.

Once freed from their bonds, each creature took the time to test their newly awakened limbs, the boys nearly fooling themselves into seeing a look of concentration on the golems' grotesque parodies of a face. Once satisfied by their inspection, each stood up of their crouching position and each stared into their new charge's eyes with empty eye sockets. The boys discovered that the golem they were faced with was clearly in better condition than their counterpart, their skins not yet rotten.

"We were waiting for you, boy," they both said at the same time but in different places, "You will learn basic skills from us today, first showing how you would do different tasks and afterwards we will give you hints to better your skills. Once we are satisfied by your grasp of those most basic skills you will be able to go to wither the surrounding villages or to Manchester to earn enough currency to survive and thrive. Is this understood?" Each creature said, the only part of their gruesome mannequins of a body moving being their mouths.

Aydan jumped in surprise, not having seen the Golem moving about, he gave a cry of sudden surprise as he jumped back, hitting the door on accident as his left eye focused on the lone golem. "Ah.....okay......um were are we starting?" he said to it as he finally started to relax, greatly glad that it was not rotting like the rest of them as he looked around for a place to sit so he could listen intently to his lessons.

With a sigh, the golem merely said: "You may want to try to stay out of sight to not give your victim the chance to see you or realize that you are but a mere girl," with that, it never stopped boring it's empty gaze into Raine's, apparently unfazed by the sharp stone pressed against the creature's neck.

"No matter, now we will teach you about how to be a successful pickpocket. Tell us, how would you go about it? The following lessons will be theoretical only, as we do not have the means to do otherwise at the moment." The golem stilled once more, waiting for the girl's answer patiently.

The sudden movement from within the room surprised Nathanial causing him to stop dead in his tracks. The boy stared at the golem as it came to life. He stood there motionless for a few moments, listening to what the golem said. “I understand.” He started to relax a bit and was ready to start learning. At least this golem didn’t smell as bad and it wasn’t rotting like the others.

((Will post in a bit, still not sure how to explain something without explaining something, but I'll figure it out))

((I forgot she was mute again T.T, sorry!))

As both boys agreed, their respective golem moved once more, asking them to demonstrate their begging abilities and explaining that this would be their most basic skills, and that they should use it if everything else failed. It then asked them to beg for coin or food, and added that it would help them polish such skill afterwards with the help of tips and hints.